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 Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate in Tennessee is a very important job. This person leads the Tennessee Senate, which is part of the state's government. They are also the first person to take over as governor of Tennessee if the current governor cannot do their job anymore. This could happen if the governor resigns, passes away, or is removed from office.

The person holding this job right now is Randy McNally. He was chosen for this role on January 10, 2017. He is the second person from the Republican Party to hold this position since the time of Reconstruction. Before him, Ron Ramsey held the job from 2007 to 2017.

According to the Tennessee State Constitution from 1870, 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 the other senators each time a new group of lawmakers starts their term.

What Does the Lieutenant Governor Do?

The Lieutenant Governor is the leader of the Tennessee Senate. This means they help guide discussions and make sure rules are followed. They also have a very important role in case the governor cannot continue their duties.

Compensation and Time Commitment

This job is considered a part-time role. In 2022, the pay for this position was $72,948 per year. The Lieutenant Governor is also a member of the Tennessee General Assembly, which is the state's law-making body. This assembly meets for a limited number of days each year.

Who Takes Over as Governor?

The Lieutenant Governor is first in line to become governor if something happens to the current governor. This is called the "line of succession." Since Tennessee became a state in 1796, four Speakers of the Senate have become governor:

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

When the Speaker of the Senate takes over as governor, they don't just become an "acting" or "temporary" governor. They get the full title and all the powers of the governor. This is similar to how the vice president of the United States becomes president if the president leaves office.

There's a special rule about how long they serve. If the Speaker becomes governor during the first 18 months of the governor's four-year term, a special election will be held later to choose a new governor for the rest of the term. But if the Speaker becomes governor after the first 18 months, they will serve for the entire rest of the term.

The official title of "Lieutenant Governor" was added by a state law in 1951. This was to recognize that the Speaker of the Senate has always been the person who would take over as governor since Tennessee became a state.

Important Leaders: Lieutenant Governors of Tennessee

This section lists some of the people who have served as the Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee. The official title "Lieutenant Governor" was added in 1951. However, the Speaker of the Senate has always been the person who would take over for the governor since 1796.

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