Lieutenant Governor of Colorado
| Colorado Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $164,009 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $1,527,364 |
| Term limits: | Two consecutive terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Colorado Constitution, Article IV, Section 2 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Lieutenant Governor of Colorado Dianne Primavera | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other Colorado Executive Offices | |
| Governor •Lieutenant Governor •Secretary of State •Attorney General •Treasurer •Controller •Commissioner of Education •Agriculture Commissioner •Insurance Commissioner •Natural Resources Exec. Director •Labor Executive Director •Public Utilities Commission •Colorado State Board of Regents | |
TheLieutenant Governor of the State of Colorado is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed theGovernor of Colorado. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms.
Current officeholder
The current Lieutenant Governor of Colorado isDianne Primavera (D). Primavera assumed office in 2019.
Authority
TheColorado Constitution addresses the office of the lieutenant governor inArticle IV, the Executive Department.[1]
Colorado Constitution, Article IV, Section 2
The executive department shall include the governor, lieutenant governor... |
Qualifications
Colorado Constitution, Article IV, Section 4
No person shall be eligible to the office of governor or lieutenant governor unless he shall have attained the age of thirty years, nor to the office of secretary of state or state treasurer unless he shall have attained the age of twenty-five years, nor to the office of attorney general unless he shall have attained the age of twenty-five years and be a licensed attorney of the supreme court of the state in good standing, and no person shall be eligible to any one of said offices unless, in addition to the qualifications above prescribed therefore, he shall be a citizen of the United States, and have resided within the limits of the state two years next preceding his election.[1] |
Article III forbids any officer of the executive department from holding any legislative or judicial office.
A candidate is disqualified from holding the office of lieutenant governor if the candidate has been convicted of "embezzlement of public moneys, bribery, perjury, solicitation of bribery, or subornation of perjury"(Article XII, § 4). Additionally, any civil officer who "solicits, demands, or receives" a bribe forfeits the office and the right to hold any other office in the future and is liable to criminal penalties (Article XII, § 6).[1]
Elections
- See also:Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also:Election of governors
Colorado elects its lieutenant governors in federal midterm election years (e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030). PerArticle IV, Section 1 of thestate constitution, the lieutenant governor takes office on the second Tuesday in the January following an election.
If two candidates are tied, a joint session of thelegislature casts ballots to choose the winner from among the two candidates who received the most votes. If the election is contested, the legislature shall jointly resolve the manner as prescribed by law.
Colorado Constitution, Article IV, Section 1
(1) The executive department shall include the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, and attorney general, each of whom shall hold his office for the term of four years, commencing on the second Tuesday of January in the year 1967, and each fourth year thereafter. They shall perform such duties as are prescribed by this constitution or by law.[1] |
Term limits
The position of lieutenant governor has been subject toterm limits since 1990, when theColorado Term Limits Act was approved with 71 percent of the vote.
Any individual is limited to two consecutive terms as lieutenant governor. Serving more than half of a term as an appointee or as an acting governor qualifies as a full term for purposes of applying term limits.
Colorado Constitution, Article IV, Section 1
In order to broaden the opportunities for public service and to guard against excessive concentrations of power, no governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, or attorney general shall serve more than two consecutive terms in such office... |
Removal from office
Colorado citizens may recall their lieutenant governors.
Recall
Recalls are governed underArticle XXI, Sections 1 through 3
State officials, including the lieutenant governor, are subject to recall after the first six months of their term. Recall proponents must file a petition with the same officer who accepts the nominating petition for the office in question; for statewide officers, this is theColorado Secretary of State.
The petition must have valid signatures equal to 25 percent of the votes cast for the incumbent in his last election. Based on the number of votes received by the gubernatorial-lieutenant gubernatorial ticket in the2010 election, a recall petition would require 446,933 signatures, or 25 percent of the 1,787,730 votes cast for Hickenlooper/Garcia. Additionally, the petition must contain a statement, not exceeding 200 words, stating the grounds for the recall.
If the petition, once submitted, is insufficient, it may be withdrawn and, within 15 days, amended and refiled. If determined to be sufficient, a recall petition is submitted to thegovernor, who calls a recall election not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days from the date of the petition's filing. If a general election is set within 90 days, the recall election may be combined with the general election.
If the recall fails, the incumbent may not be recalled again for the remainder of his or her term. Additionally, an incumbent who survives a recall is legally entitled to reimbursement of certain expenses from the state treasury.[1]
Impeachment
- See also:Gubernatorial impeachment procedures
Impeachments of civil officers are governed underArticle XIII, Sections 1 and 2.
TheColorado House of Representatives has the "sole power of impeachment" and a majority of the House's members must concur to impeach.
If the House does impeach, theColorado Senate tries all impeachments, with all Senators required to take an oath or affirmation to be impartial before the trial begins.Article XIII, Section 1 of the state constitution requires the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court be the presiding officer when thegovernor or lieutenant governor is on trial.
Thegovernor and lieutenant governor are liable to impeachment for "high crimes or misdemeanors or malfeasance in office" but, if impeached, the Senate's judgment only extend to removal from office and disqualification to hold further offices. An impeached officer may still be liable for indictment, trial, and punishment by state law enforcement.[1]
Oath of office
Civil officers, including the lieutenant governor, are required to take an oath underArticle XII, Section 8 before they may carry out any functions of their office. UnderArticle XII, Section 9, officers of the executive department file their oath with theColorado Secretary of State.
Specifics of oaths and affirmations are described in theColorado Revised Statutes, Title 24, Article 12, Sections 101-108.
2022
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Colorado
The following candidates ran in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Colorado on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dianne Primavera (D) | 58.5 | 1,468,481 |
 | Danny Moore (R) | 39.2 | 983,040 | |
 | Michele Poague (L) | 1.2 | 28,939 | |
 | Darryl Gibbs (American Constitution Party) | 0.9 | 21,623 | |
 | Cynthia Munhos de Aquino Sirianni (Unity Party) | 0.3 | 6,687 | |
| Sean Hoyt (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 52 | ||
| Kathren May (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 8 | ||
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 2,508,830 | ||
 = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Elijah Hatch (R)
- Jan Kok (Approval Voting Party)
Past elections
Vacancies
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed inArticle IV, Section 13 of thestate constitution.
If the office of lieutenant governor becomes vacant thegovernor appoints a replacement subject to majority approval from both houses of thelegislature.[1]
Duties
Originally, the lieutenant governor served as president of theColorado State Senate. That duty was repealed by the 6th Amendment to theColorado Constitution in 1974. Currently, the office's primary responsibility is to act as thegovernor's potential replacement in addition to other duties that the governor assigns.[1]
Divisions
As of January 19, 2021, programs overseen by the Lieutenant Governor's office included:[2]
- Colorado Commission of Indiana Affairs
- Colorado Space Coalition
- Office of Saving People Money on Healthcare
- Office of eHealth Innovation
- Serve Colorado
State budget
- See also:Colorado state budget and finances
The budget for the Colorado Lieutenant Governor's Office in the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year was $1,527,364.[3]
Compensation
The salaries of all elected executives in Colorado are determined by state law as mandated by theColorado Constitution.[4]Article IV, Section 19 of the state constitution notes that legislators cannot decrease state executive salaries during their current terms in office.
| Text of Section 19: Salaries of Officers Fees Paid into Treasury The officers named in section one of this article shall receive for their services a salary to be established by law, which shall not be increased or diminished during their official terms. It shall be the duty of all such officers to collect in advance all fees prescribed by law for services rendered by them severally, and pay the same into the state treasury. |
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $164,009, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[5]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $164,009, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[6]
2021
In 2021, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $164,009, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[7]
2020
In 2020, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $93,360 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[8]
2019
In 2019, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $93,360 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[9]
2018
In 2018, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $153,768 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[10]
2017
In 2017, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $150,000 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[11]
2016
In 2016, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $68,500.[12]
2015
In 2015, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $68,500 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[13]
2014
In 2014, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $68,500 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[14]
2013
In 2013, the lieutenant governor was paid an estimated$68,500. This figure comes from theCouncil of State Governments.[15]
Historical officeholders
| List of officeholders from 1877-Present[16] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Lafayette Head | 1877-1879 |  Republican | ||
| 2 | Horace Austin Warner Tabor | 1879-1883 | Republican | ||
| 3 | William H. Meyer | 1883-1885 | Republican | ||
| 4 | Peter W. Breene | 1885-1887 | Republican | ||
| 5 | Norman H. Meldrum | 1887-1889 | Republican | ||
| 6 | William Grover Smith | 1889-1891 | Republican | ||
| 7 | William Story | 1891-1893 | Republican | ||
| 8 | Davvid Hopkinson Nichols | 1893-1895 | RepublicanPopulist | ||
| 9 | Jared L. Brush | 1895-1899 | Republican | ||
| 10 | Francis Patrick Carney | 1899-1901 | Populist | ||
| 11 | David Courtney Coates | 1901-1902 |  Democratic | ||
| 12 | Warren Armstrong Haggott | 1902-1903 | Republican | ||
| 13 | Jesse F. McDonald | 1904-1905 | Republican | ||
| 14 | Arthur Cornforth | 1905-1905 | Republican | ||
| 15 | Fred W. Parks | 1905-1907 | Republican | ||
| 16 | Erastus Harper | 1907-1909 | Republican | ||
| 17 | Stephen R. Fitzgerald | 1909-1915 | Democratic | ||
| 18 | Moses E. Lewis | 1915-1917 | Republican | ||
| 19 | James A. Pulliam | 1917-1919 | Democratic | ||
| 20 | George Stephan | 1919-1921 | Republican | ||
| 21 | Earl Cooley | 1921-1923 | Republican | ||
| 22 | Robert Fay Rockwell | 1923-1925 | Republican | ||
| 23 | Sterling Byrd Lacy | 1925-1927 | Democratic | ||
| 24 | George Milton Corlett | 1927-1931 | Republican | ||
| 25 | Edwin Carl Johnson | 1931-1932 | Democratic | ||
| 26 | Raymond Herbert Talbot | 1933-1937 | Democratic | ||
| 27 | Frank J. Hayes | 1937-1939 | Democratic | ||
| 28 | John C. Vivian | 1939-1943 | Republican | ||
| 29 | William Eugene Higby | 1943-1947 | Republican | ||
| 30 | Homer L. Pearson | 1947-1949 | Republican | ||
| 31 | Walter Walford Johnson | 1949-1950 | Democratic | ||
| 32 | Charles P. Murphy | 1950-1950 | Republican | ||
| 33 | Gordon Llewellyn Allott | 1950-1955 | Republican | ||
| 34 | Stephen L. R. McNichols | 1955-1957 | Democratic | ||
| 35 | Frank L. Hays | 1957-1959 | Republican | ||
| 36 | Robert Lee Knous | 1959-1967 | Democratic | ||
| 37 | Mark Anthony Hogan | 1967-1971 | Democratic | ||
| 38 | John D. Vanderhoof | 1971-1973 | Republican | ||
| 39 | Ted L. Strickland | 1973-1975 | Republican | ||
| 40 | George Brown | 1975-1979 | Democratic | ||
| 41 | Nancy E. Dick | 1979-1987 | Democratic | ||
| 42 | Mike Calligan | 1987-1994 | Democratic | ||
| 43 | Samuel H. Cassidy | 1994-1995 | Democratic | ||
| 44 | Gail S. Schoettler | 1995-1999 | Democratic | ||
| 45 | Joe Rogers | 1999-2003 | Republican | ||
| 46 | Jane E. Norton | 2003-2007 | Republican | ||
| 47 | Barbara O'Brien | 2007-2011 | Democratic | ||
| 48 | Joseph Garcia | 2011-2016 | Democratic | ||
| 49 | Donna Lynne | 2016-2019 | Democratic | ||
| 50 | Dianne Primavera | 2019-present | Democratic | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsColorado Lieutenant Governor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
Physical address:
200 E. Colfax Ave, Room 130
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: (303) 866-4075
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.11.21.31.41.51.61.7Colorado State Legislature, "Colorado constitution," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, "Programs," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑Colorado General Assembly, "Appropriations Report Fiscal Year 2024-25," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑Colorado Office of Legislative Legal Services, "Constitution of the State of Colorado," accessed February 20, 2015
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑The Denver Channel, "Colorado governor nominates Kaiser executive Donna Lynne to serve as lieutenant governor," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed January 31, 2014
- ↑Colorado State Archives, Lieutenant Governors of Colorado, accessed January 19, 2021
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