Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee
Seal of Tennessee
Incumbent Randy McNally since January 10, 2017
Style	Mr. Speaker
Member of	Tennessee Senate
Appointer	Tennessee Senate
Constituting instrument	Tennessee Constitution
Formation	February 23, 1870; 155 years ago (1870-02-23)
First holder	Dorsey B. Thomas
Succession	First
Salary	$72,948 (2022)

The Speaker of the Tennessee Senate is a very important job in Tennessee's government. This person also serves as the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee. They lead the Tennessee Senate, which is part of the state's law-making group.

If the governor of Tennessee cannot do their job (for example, if they resign or are removed), the Lieutenant Governor is the first person to take over. The official name for this role is Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate.

The Tennessee State Constitution of 1870 says that the Speaker of the Senate is chosen by the members of the Tennessee State Senate. The Lieutenant Governor is a senator and serves a four-year term. However, they must be re-elected by other senators each time a new group of lawmakers starts.

The current Lieutenant Governor is Randy McNally. He was first chosen for this role on January 10, 2017. He is the second person from the Republican party to hold this job in a row since the Reconstruction period. Before him, Ron Ramsey held the position from 2007 to 2017.

What the Lieutenant Governor Does

The Lieutenant Governor's main job is to lead the Tennessee Senate. This means they help make sure meetings run smoothly and that rules are followed. They also have a big role in case the governor can no longer serve.

How the Job Works

Even though it's a very important role, it's considered a part-time job. The Lieutenant Governor is also a member of the Tennessee General Assembly. This group of lawmakers meets for a limited number of days each year.

Who Takes Over if the Governor Can't Serve?

Since Tennessee became a state in 1796, four Speakers of the Senate have become governor. This happens if the governor resigns, passes away, or is removed from office.

• William Hall became governor when Sam Houston resigned.
• Dewitt Clinton Senter took over when William G. Brownlow resigned to become a U.S. Senator.
• John I. Cox became governor when James B. Frazier resigned to become a U.S. Senator.
• Henry Hollis Horton took over when Austin Peay passed away while in office.

When the Speaker of the Senate becomes governor, they don't just fill in temporarily. They become the full governor, just like the vice president of the United States becomes president if the president cannot serve.

There's a special rule:

• If the Speaker becomes governor during the first 18 months of the governor's four-year term, a special election is held later to choose a new governor for the rest of the term.
• If the Speaker becomes governor after the first 18 months, they serve for the entire rest of the term.

The title of lieutenant governor was officially added to the Speaker's role in 1951. This was to show that the Speaker is the person who would take over for the governor. This tradition has been in place since Tennessee became a state in 1796.

People Who Have Held This Job

Here are some of the people who have served as Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee (or Speaker of the Senate before the title was formally added).

Parties

      Democratic       Republican

Lieutenant Governors of the State of Tennessee
No.	Image	Name	Term	Party	Governor(s) served under	Life
1		Dorsey B. Thomas	1869–1871	Democratic	None	1823–1897
2		John C. Vaughn	1871–1873	Democratic		1824–1875
18		John I. Cox	1905	Democratic		1855–1946
31		Henry Hollis Horton	1927	Democratic		1866–1934
42		Walter M. Haynes	1949–1953	Democratic		Gordon Browning	1897–1967
43		Jared Maddux	1953–1959	Democratic		Frank G. Clement	1912–1971
45		James L. Bomar Jr.	1963–1965	Democratic		Frank G. Clement	1914–2001
48		John S. Wilder	1971–2007	Democratic		Winfield Dunn, Ray Blanton, Lamar Alexander, Ned McWherter, Don Sundquist, Phil Bredesen	1921–2010
49		Ron Ramsey	2007–2017	Republican		Phil Bredesen, Bill Haslam	b. 1955
50		Randy McNally	2017–present	Republican		Bill Haslam, Bill Lee	b. 1944

Images for kids

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  James Winchester

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  William Blount

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  Joseph McMinn

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  Robert Coleman Foster

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  Robert Weakley

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  William Hall

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  Dewitt Clinton Senter

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  John R. Neal

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  William West Bond