Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

From Ballotpedia
Virginia Lieutenant Governor

Seal of Virginia.svg.png

General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $36,321
2026 FY Budget:  $566,920
Term limits:  None
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:  Virginia Constitution, Article V, Section 13
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder(s)

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Ghazala Hashmi
Democratic Party
Assumed office: January 17, 2026

Elections
Next election:  2029
Last election:  2025
Other Virginia Executive Offices
Governor •Lieutenant Governor •Secretary of State •Attorney General •Treasurer •Auditor •Superintendent of Education •Agriculture Commissioner •Insurance Commissioner •Natural Resources Commissioner •Labor Commissioner •Public Service Commission

TheLieutenant Governor of Virginia is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed theGovernor of Virginia. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and, unlike the governor, may run for re-election.

Current officeholder

See also:Current Lieutenant Governors

The current Lieutenant Governor of Virginia isGhazala Hashmi (D). Hashmi assumed office in 2026.

Authority

TheVirginia Constitution addresses the office of the lieutenant governorArticle V, the Executive.

Under Article V, Section 13:

A Lieutenant Governor shall be elected at the same time and for the same term as the Governor, and his qualifications and the manner and ascertainment of his election, in all respects, shall be the same, except that there shall be no limit on the terms of the Lieutenant Governor.

Qualifications

In order to be eligible for the office of lieutenant governor, a candidate must be:[1]

  • a United States citizen
  • a resident and registered voter of Virginia for at least five years preceding the election
  • at least 30 years old

Elections

Virginia state government organizational chart
See also:Gubernatorial election cycles by state
See also:Election of lieutenant governors

Virginia holds off-year elections, that is, elections in odd-numbered years that are neither presidential nor midterm years. In Virginia's, elections are held in the year after a presidential election and before a midterm (e.g. 2021, 2025, 2029, 2033). Legally, the inauguration is always held on the Saturday after the second Wednesday in January after an election.[2][3]

By law, lieutenant governors are elected in separate elections from governors in both the primary and general elections. This means it is possible to have a partisan split in the executive office.

In the event of a tie between two candidates or a contested election, a joint session of the legislature shall cast ballots.

2025

See also:Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2025

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

Ghazala Hashmi defeatedJohn Reid andMarlow Jones in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia on November 4, 2025.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Ghazala Hashmi
Ghazala Hashmi (D) Candidate Connection
 
55.7
 
1,900,104
Image of John Reid
John Reid (R)
 
44.1
 
1,505,395
Image of Marlow Jones
Marlow Jones (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
8,678

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 3,414,177
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia on June 17, 2025.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Ghazala Hashmi
Ghazala Hashmi Candidate Connection
 
27.5
 
136,717
Image of Levar Stoney
Levar Stoney
 
26.5
 
131,765
Image of Aaron Rouse
Aaron Rouse
 
26.2
 
130,485
Image of Babur Lateef
Babur Lateef
 
8.5
 
42,099
Image of Alex Bastani
Alex Bastani Candidate Connection
 
5.7
 
28,476
Image of Victor Salgado
Victor Salgado Candidate Connection
 
5.6
 
27,593

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 497,135
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled.John Reid advanced from the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2021

See also:Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2021

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

Winsome Earle-Sears defeatedHala Ayala in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia on November 2, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Winsome Earle-Sears
Winsome Earle-Sears (R)
 
50.7
 
1,658,767
Image of Hala Ayala
Hala Ayala (D)
 
49.2
 
1,608,691
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
3,808

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 3,271,266
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia on June 8, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Hala Ayala
Hala Ayala
 
37.6
 
181,168
Image of Sam Rasoul
Sam Rasoul
 
24.3
 
116,816
Image of Mark Levine
Mark Levine
 
11.2
 
53,735
Image of Andria McClellan
Andria McClellan
 
10.6
 
51,015
Image of Sean Perryman
Sean Perryman Candidate Connection
 
8.1
 
38,925
Image of Xavier Warren
Xavier Warren
 
4.1
 
19,903
Image of Elizabeth Guzman
Elizabeth Guzman (Unofficially withdrew)
 
4.1
 
19,803

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 481,365
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican convention

Republican Convention for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

The following candidates advanced in theranked-choice voting election:Winsome Earle-Sears in round 5 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.

  
Candidate
%
Total Votes
Transfer
Round eliminated
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Winsome_Sears.jpeg
Winsome Earle-Sears
 
54.4
 
6,8281,402Advanced (5)
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Tim_Hugo.jpg
Tim Hugo
 
45.6
 
5,7261,9105
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Glenn_Davis.jpg
Glenn Davis
 
0.0
 
0-3,3125
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lance_AllenVA.png
Lance Allen
 
0.0
 
004
Puneet Ahluwalia
 
0.0
 
003
Maeve Rigler
 
0.0
 
002
  
Candidate
%
Total Votes
Transfer
Round eliminated
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Winsome_Sears.jpeg
Winsome Earle-Sears
 
43.2
 
5,426799Advanced (5)
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Tim_Hugo.jpg
Tim Hugo
 
30.4
 
3,8166315
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Glenn_Davis.jpg
Glenn Davis
 
26.4
 
3,3124745
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lance_AllenVA.png
Lance Allen
 
0.0
 
0-1,9044
Puneet Ahluwalia
 
0.0
 
003
Maeve Rigler
 
0.0
 
002
  
Candidate
%
Total Votes
Transfer
Round eliminated
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Winsome_Sears.jpeg
Winsome Earle-Sears
 
36.9
 
4,627327Advanced (5)
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Tim_Hugo.jpg
Tim Hugo
 
25.4
 
3,1851985
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Glenn_Davis.jpg
Glenn Davis
 
22.6
 
2,8381635
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lance_AllenVA.png
Lance Allen
 
15.2
 
1,9042024
Puneet Ahluwalia
 
0.0
 
0-8893
Maeve Rigler
 
0.0
 
002
  
Candidate
%
Total Votes
Transfer
Round eliminated
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Winsome_Sears.jpeg
Winsome Earle-Sears
 
34.3
 
4,300224Advanced (5)
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Tim_Hugo.jpg
Tim Hugo
 
23.8
 
2,9871635
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Glenn_Davis.jpg
Glenn Davis
 
21.3
 
2,6751385
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lance_AllenVA.png
Lance Allen
 
13.6
 
1,7021634
Puneet Ahluwalia
 
7.1
 
889703
Maeve Rigler
 
0.0
 
0-7602
  
Candidate
%
Total Votes
Transfer
Round eliminated
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Winsome_Sears.jpeg
Winsome Earle-Sears
 
32.5
 
4,0760Advanced (5)
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Tim_Hugo.jpg
Tim Hugo
 
22.5
 
2,82405
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Glenn_Davis.jpg
Glenn Davis
 
20.2
 
2,53705
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Lance_AllenVA.png
Lance Allen
 
12.3
 
1,53904
Puneet Ahluwalia
 
6.5
 
81903
Maeve Rigler
 
6.1
 
76002

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 12,555
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Past elections

Expand All
2017
2013
2009
2005
2001


Vacancies

Details of vacancies are addressed underArticle V, Section 7.

A vacancy in the lieutenant governor's office is filled by the governor.

Duties

The lieutenant governor serves as the president of theVirginia State Senate and may cast tie-breaking votes. The lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession to the governor; in the event the governor dies, resigns, or otherwise leaves office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.

As of May 2016, the lieutenant governor also had the following statutory duties:[6]

“
  1. Serves on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Tourism Authority. (Va. Code Ann. Ch. 22, Art. 8, 2.2-2316)
  2. Serves as a member of the Board of the Ft. Monroe Authority. (Va. Code Ann. Ch. 22, Art. 8, 2.2-2338)
  3. Serves on the Council on Virginia’s Future. (Va. Code Ann. Ch. 22, Art. 8, 2.2-2685)
  4. Serves on the Virginia Military Advisory Council. (Va. Code Ann. Ch. 22. Art. 8, 2.2-2666.1)
  5. Serves on Board of Trustees for the Center for Rural Virginia. (Va. Code Ann. Ch. 22. Art. 8, 2.2-2721)
  6. Serve on the Advisory Board of the Secure Commonwealth Panel. (Va. Code Ann. Ch. 2, 2.2-222.3)
  7. Serve on the Board of Trustees for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. (Va. Code Ann. Ch. 23-287)
  8. Serve on the board of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority (Va. Code Ann. Ch. 22, Art. 4, 2.2-2235)[7]
”

Divisions

Note:Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, pleaseemail us.

State budget

See also:Virginia state budget and finances

The budget for the Virginia Lieutenant Governor's Office in Fiscal Year 2026 was $566,920.[8]

Compensation

See also:Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries andCompensation of state executive officers

DocumentIcon.jpgSee statutes:VA Code § 2.2-201 (2014)

The lieutenant governor is entitled to receive a fixed annual salary in accordance with Title 2, Chapter 2 of the Virginia Code (§ 2.2-201).[9] The amount is set by law, pursuant toArticle V, Section 14 of theVirginia Constitution:

The Lieutenant Governor... shall receive for his services a compensation to be prescribed by law, which shall not be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected.

2023

In 2023, the officer's salary was $36,321, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[10]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $36,321, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[11]

2021

In 2021, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $36,321, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[12]

2020

In 2020, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $36,321 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[1]

2019

In 2019, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $36,321 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[13]

2018

In 2018, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $36,321 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[14]

2017

In 2017, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $36,321 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[15]

2016

In 2016, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $36,321 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[16]

2015

In 2015, the lieutenant governor received a salary $36,321 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[17]

2014

In 2014, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $36,321 according to theCouncil of State Governments.[18]

2013

In 2013, the lieutenant governor was paid an estimated$36,321. This figure comes from theCouncil of State Governments.[19]

2010

As of 2010, the lieutenant governor was paid$36,321 a year, the 40th highest lieutenant gubernatorial salary in America.

Historical officeholders

There have been 43 lieutenant governors of Virginia since 1852. Of the 43 officeholders, 30 were Democrats, six were Republicans, three were Unionists, two were Conservatives, one was a Readjuster Republican coalition, and one was an Independent.[20]

List of officeholders from 1852-Present
#NameTenureParty
1Shelton Farrar Leake1852 – 1856Electiondot.pngDemocratic
2Elisha W. McComas1856 – 1857Electiondot.pngDemocratic
3William Lowther Jackson1857 - 1860Electiondot.pngDemocratic
4Robert Latane Montague1860 – 1864Electiondot.pngDemocratic
5Samuel Price1864 – 1865Electiondot.pngDemocratic
6Daniel Polsley1861 – 1863Unionist
7Leopold Copeland Parker Cowper1863 – 1865Unionist
8Leopold Copeland Parker Cowper1865 – 1869Unionist
9John Francis Lewis1869-1870Ends.pngRepublican
10John Lawrence Marye, Jr.1870-1874Conservative
11Robert Enoch Withers1874-1875Conservative
12Henry Wirtz Thomas1875-1878Ends.pngRepublican
13James Alexander Walker1878 – 1882Electiondot.pngDemocratic
14John Francis Lewis1882-1886Readjuster Republican coalition
15John Edward "Parson" Massey1886-1890Electiondot.pngDemocratic
16James Hoge Tyler1890-1894Electiondot.pngDemocratic
17Robert Craig Kent1894-1898Electiondot.pngDemocratic
18Edward Echols1898-1902Electiondot.pngDemocratic
19Joseph Edward Willard1902-1906Electiondot.pngDemocratic
20James Taylor Ellyson1906-1918Electiondot.pngDemocratic
21Benjamin Franklin Buchanan1918-1922Electiondot.pngDemocratic
22Junius Edgar West1922-1930Electiondot.pngDemocratic
23James Hubert Price1930-1938Electiondot.pngDemocratic
24Saxon Winston Holt1938-1940Electiondot.pngDemocratic
25William Munford Tuck1942-1946Electiondot.pngDemocratic
26Lewis Preston Collins, II1946-1952Electiondot.pngDemocratic
27Allie Edward Stokes Stephens1952-1962Electiondot.pngDemocratic
28Mills Edwin Godwin, Jr.1962-1966Electiondot.pngDemocratic
29Fred Gresham Pollard1966-1970Electiondot.pngDemocratic
30Julian Sargeant Reynolds1970-1971Electiondot.pngDemocratic
31Henry Evans Howell, Jr.1971-1974Independent
32John Nichols Dalton1974-1978Ends.pngRepublican
33Charles Spittal Robb1978-1982Electiondot.pngDemocratic
34Richard Joseph Davis1982-1986Electiondot.pngDemocratic
35Lawrence Douglas Wilder1986-1990Electiondot.pngDemocratic
36Donald Sternoff Beyer, Jr.1990-1998Electiondot.pngDemocratic
37John Henry Hager1998-2002Ends.pngRepublican
38Timothy M. Kaine2002-2006Electiondot.pngDemocratic
39William T. Bolling2006-2014Ends.pngRepublican
40Ralph Northam2014-2018Electiondot.pngDemocratic
41Justin Fairfax2018-2022Electiondot.pngDemocratic
42Winsome Earle-Sears2022-2026Ends.pngRepublican
43Ghazala Hashmi2026-presentElectiondot.pngDemocratic

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsVirginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Contact information

Physical address
Virginia Lieutenant Governor
P.O. Box 1195
Richmond, VA 23218

Phone: (804) 786-2078

See also

VirginiaState Executive ElectionsNews and Analysis
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑1.01.1Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 20, 2021
  2. ↑Virginia Law, "Article V. Executive, Section 1. Executive power; Governor’s term of office.," accessed November 3, 2021
  3. ↑Virginia Law, "Article V. Executive, Section 13. Lieutenant Governor; election and qualifications," accessed November 3, 2021
  4. ↑Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Statewide Candidates," October 17, 2017
  5. ↑5.05.1Virginia Department of Elections, "2017 Primary Filing," accessed May 12, 2017
  6. ↑National Lieutenant Governors Association, "Virginia Office of Lt. Governor Statutory Duties," accessed January 21, 2021
  7. ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  8. ↑Commonwealth of Virginia, "Budget Bill - HB30," accessed January 23, 2025
  9. ↑Justia.com, "VA Code § 2.2-201 (2014)," accessed January 21, 2021
  10. ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
  11. ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  12. ↑Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 28, 2022
  13. ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 21, 2021
  14. ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 21, 2021
  15. ↑Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 21, 2021
  16. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
  17. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
  18. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 8, 2014
  19. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," January 31, 2014
  20. ↑Encyclopedia Virginia, " Lieutenant Governors of Virginia," accessed July 16, 2013
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