TheNational Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) is thenon-profit,nonpartisanprofessional association forelected or appointed officials who are first inline of succession to thegovernors in the 50U.S. states and the fiveorganized territories. (The first official in the line of succession is generally established in thestate or territorial constitution).

In 43 states and four territories, this official is a statewide electedlieutenant governor (In 2010New Jersey elected its firstlieutenant governor). In three states and one territory, this official is thestate secretary of state. In four states, thepresident of the state senate (theupper house of thestate legislature) is first in line of succession; two of these officials (Tennessee andWest Virginia) may statutorily use the titlelieutenant governor.

Of the elected lieutenant governors, 26 are elected on aticket in thegeneral election with the gubernatorial candidate as arunning mate. Most states allow the governor to designate his or her running mate, but in some states, the governor and lieutenant governor run separately in theprimary election and are "paired" for the general election. In 17 other states, the lieutenant governor and the governor are elected separately and as a result may be of differentpolitical parties. Lieutenant governors typically areacting governor when the governor is out of state. Thirty lieutenant governor are presidents of the state Senate, and of these half may cast tie-breaking votes (mirroring theFederal government of the United States, in which theVice President of the United States is the president of theUnited States Senate).

The NLGA was founded in 1962, as theNational Conference of Lieutenant Governors (NCLG). The organization's first meeting was on December 4, 1962. In 1966, NCLG affiliated with theCouncil of State Governments (CSG) and was staffed through CSG from 1983 to 1988 with Edward Feigenbaum as director. In 1988, NCLG became financially independent. Gail Manning ran the organization's operations and was named director in 1991; she served until 2002.

In 2002, Julia Hurst became executive director. The same year, the organization adopted its current name and a new logo and launched itswebsite.

The Association was incorporated in Kentucky in January 2013 and assumed independent corporate status and operations July 1, 2013.

NLGA provides members the opportunity to network, meet, foster interstate cooperation, gain policy knowledge, hone professional skills, share policy work, and promote the effectiveness of the office of lieutenant governor.^[1] NLGA does adopt national policy resolutions on subjects of importance to the membership. NLGA Articles provide for the Chairmanship to rotate annually between a Democrat and Republican. The Chair Elect is of the opposite party to the chair and assumes the role of Chair the following year.

The association office is located in Covington, Kentucky.^[1] The full membership meets twice a year, annually inWashington, DC for its Federal-State Relations meeting and annually in the summer in a select host state.

In 2007, NLGA was given the prestigious 'Associations Advance America' recognition by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).^[2] NLGA was determined to have one of the six best association programs in the nation for 'Ending Cervical Cancer in our Lifetime,' a nationwide health care campaign. NLGA has also been recognized for work by Women in Government, the American Cardiology Association, and the American Iron and Steel Institute.^[3]

• Official website

• Nonpartisan organizations in the United States
• Political organizations based in the United States
• Government-related professional associations in the United States
• Organizations established in 1962