Lieutenant gubernatorial elections, 2020
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There were 10lieutenant gubernatorial seats on the ballot in 2020. These elections were inAmerican Samoa,Delaware,Indiana,Missouri,Montana,North Carolina,North Dakota,Utah,Vermont, andWashington.
In 45 states, thelieutenant governor is the second-highest executive office, behind thegovernor. Although the powers and duties of the lieutenant governor vary from state to state, lieutenant governors are responsible for filling vacancies in the office of governor. In many states, lieutenant governors often sit on boards or commissions, and they are often involved in the proceedings of the state Senate.
The process for selecting a lieutenant governor varies from state to state. InTennessee andWest Virginia, the member of the state Senate chosen to serve as its president becomes the lieutenant governor. In the other 43 states with lieutenant governors, the officeholder is elected. This election is separate from the gubernatorial election in 17 states and is held on a joint ticket in the other 26.
While this page includes links to pages on state executive elections in the U.S. territories, it does not include the territories in its statistics.
Partisan breakdown
The following table displays the number of lieutenant governorships held by each party as of November 2020 and as a result of the 2020 elections.
| U.S. lieutenant governors partisan breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2020 | After the 2020 elections | |
| Democratic Party | 21[1] | 20 | |
| Republican Party | 24 | 25 | |
| Total | 45 | 45 | |
Election results
Offices that changed partisan control
Two lieutenant gubernatorial offices changed partisan control as a result of the 2020 elections.
| Lieutenant gubernatorial offices that changed party control, 2020 elections | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Pre-election incumbent | Election winner | ||
| Lieutenant Governor of Montana |  Mike Cooney |  Kristen Juras | ||
| Lieutenant Governor of Vermont |  David Zuckerman | Molly Gray | ||
Defeated incumbents
No incumbent lieutenant governors were defeated in 2020. Incumbents sought and won re-election in four states.
Incumbents who did not seek re-election
The following incumbents did not seek re-election in 2020:
- Mike Cooney (Montana)
- Spencer Cox (Utah)
- Dan Forest (North Carolina)
- Cyrus Habib (Washington)
- David Zuckerman (Vermont)
Historical control
In 1977, theDemocratic Party held a total of 34 lieutenant governorships to theRepublican Party's 10. The Democratic lead in lieutenant governorships would be maintained until the midterm elections of 1994, which gave the Republican Party control of 23 lieutenant governorships to the Democrats' 21. The midterm elections of 2006 led to the Democratic Party regaining its lead in lieutenant governorships, with 23 to the Republicans' 21. However, the Republican Party regained its lead in the 2008 elections. After that election, lieutenant governorships trended Republican until the 2018 elections, with the party reaching a high of 32 lieutenant governorships to Democrats' 13 in 2015 and 2016. In2018, Democrats and Republicans each won 15 of the 30 seats up for election, narrowing the gap in seats but keeping the Republican lead in place. In2019, Democrats gained Kentucky's lieutenant governorship, giving Democrats 21 seats to Republicans' 24.
About the office
Selection process
In 27 states, the lieutenant governor is selected on a ticket with the governor, meaning that lieutenant gubernatorial candidates serve as running mates to gubernatorial candidates, with the winning gubernatorial candidate's running mate becoming lieutenant governor. In six of these states, there are separate primaries for governor and lieutenant governor, with the winning candidate in each primary appearing on the general election ticket. In the remaining 21 states, gubernatorial candidates may pick their own running mates in a similar fashion to presidential candidates. In 17 states, the lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor. InTennessee andWest Virginia, the title of lieutenant governor is given to the president of the state Senate.[2]
- Lt. gov. nominated in separate primary and elected in separate general election (17): Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington
- Lt. gov. nominated in separate primary but runs on a single ticket with gubernatorial nominee in general election (6): Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
- Lt. gov. chosen by gubernatorial candidate before primary and runs on a single ticket with gubernatorial candidate in both the primary and general election (10): Alaska, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah
- Lt. gov. chosen by gubernatorial nominee after primary and runs on a single ticket with gubernatorial nominee in the general election (11): Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, South Carolina, South Dakota
- Lt. gov. is a member of the legislature (2): Tennessee, West Virginia
- Lt. gov. office does not exist in state (4): Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Wyoming
Partisan affiliation
There are currently a total of 30Republican lieutenant governors and 14Democratic lieutenant governors, includingDavid Zuckerman ofVermont, whose primary affiliation is with theVermont Progressive Party. The position oflieutenant governor of Alabama is vacant followingKay Ivey's (R) promotion to the governorship in April 2017.
Compensation
According to compensation figures for 2017 compiled by the Council of State Governments in theBook of the States, the highest salary for a lieutenant governor is $162,673 inPennsylvania while the lowest is $9,612 inTexas. To view the compensation of a specific lieutenant governor, hover your mouse over the state.[3]
Legislative powers
In 27 states, the lieutenant governor is involved with the legislative process as the presiding officer of the state Senate. In 24 of those states, the lieutenant governor also has the power to cast a tiebreaking vote in the Senate, although some states limit this ability to votes on specific issues.[4]
Gubernatorial delegation
In 24 states, the governor may formally transfer a portion of their power to the lieutenant governor.[4]
Acting governor
In 29 states, the lieutenant governor serves as acting governor while the governor is out of the state; three of these states place limits on this role.[4]
Term limits
To view term limits for a particular state, hover your mouse over that state.
Analysis of state elections
In November 2020, regular elections were held for 86 of 99 state legislative chambers, plus 11 gubernatorial offices, nine lieutenant gubernatorial offices, 10 attorney general offices, and seven secretary of state offices.
Election analysis
All state elections
- Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection report
- Noteworthy recounts in the United States
- Incumbent win rates by state
- Results of state elected officials seeking other offices, 2020
- Analysis of rejected ballots in the 2020 general election
- Analysis of ballot curing in the 2020 general election
- Analysis of voter turnout in the 2020 general election
- Ballotpedia's Top 15 elections to watch, 2020
- Split-ticket voting in statewide elections in 2018 and 2020
- Trends in the margins of victory for incumbents of three or more terms, 2018-2024
Trifectas
- State government trifectas in the 2020 elections
- Historical and potential changes in trifectas
- Trifecta vulnerability in the 2020 elections
- Presidential election results by trifecta status
- Gubernatorial and presidential split-ticket states
State executive elections
- Partisan balance of governors
- State government triplexes
- Annual State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2020
- States with both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2020
State legislative elections
- Number of state legislators by party
- Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020
- Effect of the 2020 elections on redistricting
- Rematches in 2020 general elections
- State legislative veto-proof majorities
- State legislative battleground chambers, 2020
- Veto-proof state legislatures and opposing party governors in the 2020 elections
- Races decided by fewer than 100 votes
- Margin of victory analysis for the 2020 state legislative elections
- State legislative seats flipped
- State legislative special election changes in party control since 2010
- State legislative chambers that changed party control
- State legislative seats that changed party control
- Comparison of state legislative election and session dates, 2020
State ballot measures
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2020
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2020
- Ballotpedia's top 15 ballot measures to watch on Nov. 3
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑This figure includes Vermont Lieutenant GovernorDavid Zuckerman, who is a member of both the Democratic Party and the Vermont Progressive Party.
- ↑National Lieutenant Governors Association, "Methods of Election," accessed August 27, 2025
- ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2017 - Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed October 22, 2017
- ↑4.04.14.2Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2017 - Lieutenant Governors: Powers and Duties," accessed December 3, 2017
