Lieutenant Governor Of Colorado
The lieutenant governor of Colorado is the second-highest-ranking member of the executive department of the Government of Colorado, United States, below the governor of Colorado. The lieutenant governor of Colorado, who acts as governor of Colorado in the absence of the officeholder and succeeds to the governorship in case of vacancy, is elected on a partisan ticket.
After the 1966 general election, the Constitution of Colorado was amended to require the joint election of governor and lieutenant governor — candidates running as a ticket. Prior to this amendment, the lieutenant governor candidate was elected separately from the governor during the same election—sometimes resulting in a governor and a lieutenant governor from different political parties.
The current lieutenant governor is Dianne Primavera, a Democrat, who took office 8 January 2019.
Lieutenant governors
No. | Lieutenant Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Governor | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lafayette Head (1825–1897) |
August 1, 1876 – January 14, 1879 (did not run) |
Republican | 1876 | John Long Routt | |||
2 | Horace Tabor (1830–1899) |
January 14, 1879 – January 9, 1881 (did not run) |
Republican | 1878 | Frederick Walker Pitkin | |||
— | George B. Robinson (d. 1880) |
Died before taking office |
Republican | 1880 | ||||
2 | Horace Tabor (1830–1899) |
January 9, 1881 – January 9, 1883 (did not run) |
Republican | |||||
3 | William H. Meyer (1847–1923) |
January 9, 1883 – January 13, 1885 (did not run) |
Republican | 1882 | James Benton Grant | |||
4 | Peter W. Breene (1846–1926) |
January 13, 1885 – January 11, 1887 (did not run) |
Republican | 1884 | Benjamin Harrison Eaton | |||
5 | Norman H. Meldrum (1841–1920) |
January 11, 1887 – January 8, 1889 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1886 | Alva Adams | |||
6 | William Grover Smith (1857–1921) |
January 8, 1889 – January 13, 1891 (did not run) |
Republican | 1888 | Job Adams Cooper | |||
7 | William Story (1843–1921) |
January 13, 1891 – January 10, 1893 (did not run) |
Republican | 1890 | John Long Routt | |||
8 | David H. Nichols (1826–1900) |
January 10, 1893 – January 8, 1895 (did not run) |
Populist | 1892 | Davis Hanson Waite | |||
9 | Jared L. Brush (1835–1913) |
January 8, 1895 – January 10, 1899 (did not run) |
Republican | 1894 | Albert McIntire | |||
1896 | Alva Adams | |||||||
10 | Francis Patrick Carney (1846–1902) |
January 10, 1899 – January 8, 1901 (did not run) |
Populist | 1898 | Charles Spalding Thomas | |||
11 | David C. Coates (1868–1933) |
January 8, 1901 – January 13, 1903 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1900 | James Bradley Orman | |||
12 | Warren A. Haggott (1864–1958) |
January 13, 1903 – January 10, 1905 (did not run) |
Republican | 1902 | James Hamilton Peabody | |||
13 | Arthur Cornforth (1861–1938) |
January 10, 1905 – March 17, 1905 (declared loser in election) |
Democratic | 1904 | Alva Adams | |||
14 | Jesse Fuller McDonald (1858–1942) |
March 17, 1905 – March 17, 1905 (succeeded to governor) |
Republican | James Hamilton Peabody (resigned March 17, 1905) | ||||
13 | Arthur Cornforth (1861–1938) |
March 17, 1905 – July 5, 1905 (removed July 5, 1905) |
Democratic | Succeeded from president of the Senate |
Jesse Fuller McDonald | |||
15 | Fred W. Parks (1871–1941) |
July 5, 1905 – January 8, 1907 (did not run) |
Republican | Succeeded from president of the Senate | ||||
16 | Erastus Harper (1854–1927) |
January 8, 1907 – January 12, 1909 (did not run) |
Republican | 1906 | Henry Augustus Buchtel | |||
17 | Stephen R. Fitzgarrald (1854–1926) |
January 12, 1909 – January 14, 1913 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1908 | John F. Shafroth | |||
1910 | ||||||||
18 | Benjamin F. Montgomery (1834–1912) |
January 14, 1913 – January 12, 1915 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1912 | Elias M. Ammons | |||
19 | Moses E. Lewis (1854–1951) |
January 12, 1915 – January 9, 1917 (lost election) |
Republican | 1914 | George Alfred Carlson | |||
20 | James Pulliam (1863–1934) |
January 9, 1917 – January 14, 1919 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1916 | Julius Caldeen Gunter | |||
21 | George Stephan (1862–1944) |
January 14, 1919 – January 11, 1921 (did not run) |
Republican | 1918 | Oliver Henry Shoup | |||
22 | Earl Cooley (1880–1940) |
January 11, 1921 – January 9, 1923 (did not run) |
Republican | 1920 | ||||
23 | Robert F. Rockwell (1886–1950) |
January 9, 1923 – January 13, 1925 (did not run) |
Republican | 1922 | William Ellery Sweet | |||
24 | Sterling Byrd Lacy (1882–1957) |
January 13, 1925 – January 11, 1927 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1924 | Clarence Morley | |||
25 | George Milton Corlett (1884–1955) |
January 11, 1927 – January 13, 1931 (did not run) |
Republican | 1926 | Billy Adams | |||
1928 | ||||||||
26 | Edwin C. Johnson (1884–1970) |
January 13, 1931 – January 10, 1933 (elected governor) |
Democratic | 1930 | ||||
27 | Ray Herbert Talbot (1896–1955) |
January 10, 1933 – January 1, 1937 (succeeded to governor) |
Democratic | 1932 | Edwin C. Johnson (resigned January 2, 1937) | |||
1934 | ||||||||
— | Vacant | January 1, 1937 – January 12, 1937 |
Office vacated by succession to governor |
Ray Herbert Talbot | ||||
28 | Frank Hayes (1882–1948) |
January 12, 1937 – January 10, 1939 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1936 | Teller Ammons | |||
29 | John Charles Vivian (1887–1964) |
January 10, 1939 – January 12, 1943 (elected governor) |
Republican | 1938 | Ralph Lawrence Carr | |||
1940 | ||||||||
30 | William Eugene Higby (1884–1967) |
January 12, 1943 – January 14, 1947 (did not run) |
Republican | 1942 | John Charles Vivian | |||
1944 | ||||||||
31 | Homer L. Pearson (1900–1985) |
January 14, 1947 – January 11, 1949 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1946 | William Lee Knous (resigned April 15, 1950) | |||
32 | Walter Walford Johnson (1904–1987) |
January 11, 1949 – April 15, 1950 (succeeded to governor) |
Democratic | 1948 | ||||
33 | Charles P. Murphy (1882–1953) |
April 15, 1950 – January 9, 1951 (did not run) |
Republican | Succeeded from president of the Senate |
Walter Walford Johnson | |||
34 | Gordon Allott (1907–1989) |
January 9, 1951 – January 11, 1955 (did not run) |
Republican | 1950 | Daniel I. J. Thornton | |||
1952 | ||||||||
35 | Stephen McNichols (1914–1997) |
January 11, 1955 – January 8, 1957 (elected governor) |
Democratic | 1954 | Edwin C. Johnson | |||
36 | Frank L. Hays (1922–2003) |
January 8, 1957 – January 13, 1959 (lost election) |
Republican | 1956 | Stephen McNichols | |||
37 | Robert Lee Knous (1917–2000) |
January 13, 1959 – January 10, 1967 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1958 | ||||
1962 | John Arthur Love (resigned July 16, 1973) | |||||||
38 | Mark Anthony Hogan (1931–2017) |
January 10, 1967 – January 12, 1971 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1966 | ||||
39 | John D. Vanderhoof (1922–2013) |
January 12, 1971 – July 16, 1973 (succeeded to governor) |
Republican | 1970 | ||||
40 | Ted L. Strickland (1932–2012) |
July 16, 1973 – January 14, 1975 (lost election) |
Republican | Succeeded from president of the Senate |
John D. Vanderhoof | |||
41 | George L. Brown (1926–2006) |
January 14, 1975 – January 10, 1979 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1974 | Richard Lamm | |||
42 | Nancy E. Dick (b. 1930) |
January 10, 1979 – January 13, 1987 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1978 | ||||
1982 | ||||||||
43 | Mike Callihan (b. 1947) |
January 13, 1987 – May 10, 1994 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1986 | Roy Romer | |||
1990 | ||||||||
— | Vacant | May 10, 1994 – May 11, 1994 |
Office vacated by succession to governor | |||||
44 | Samuel H. Cassidy (b. 1950) |
May 11, 1994 – January 3, 1995 (did not run) |
Democratic | Appointed by governor | ||||
45 | Gail Schoettler (b. 1943) |
January 3, 1995 – January 12, 1999 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1994 | ||||
46 | Joe Rogers (1964–2013) |
January 12, 1999 – January 14, 2003 (did not run) |
Republican | 1998 | Bill Owens | |||
47 | Jane E. Norton (b. 1954) |
January 14, 2003 – January 9, 2007 (did not run) |
Republican | 2002 | ||||
48 | Barbara O'Brien (b. 1950) |
January 9, 2007 – January 11, 2011 (did not run) |
Democratic | 2006 | Bill Ritter | |||
49 | Joseph Garcia (b. 1957) |
January 11, 2011 – May 12, 2016 (resigned) |
Democratic | 2010 | John Hickenlooper | |||
2014 | ||||||||
50 | Donna Lynne (b. 1953) |
May 12, 2016 – January 8, 2019 (did not run) |
Democratic | Appointed by governor | ||||
51 | Dianne Primavera (b. 1950) |
January 8, 2019 – Incumbent |
Democratic | 2018 | Jared Polis | |||
2022 |
Notes
- ^ Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
- ^ Robinson was elected in the 1880 election, but died before taking office; the sitting lieutenant governor, Tabor, claimed the office and held it for the term.
- ^ Represented the Democratic Party.
- ^ Breene instead ran successfully for Colorado State Treasurer.
- ^ The 1904 gubernatorial election was rife with fraud and controversy. Adams and Cornforth won election, but soon after Adams took office the Republican legislature declared Peabody to be the actual winner, on the condition that Peabody immediately tender his resignation, postdated to the next day. Peabody's lieutenant governor, McDonald, then succeeded to the governorship. Cornforth, as president pro tempore of the senate, acted as lieutenant governor until the Colorado Supreme Court declared that Parks, who had been elected president pro tempore of the senate on April 3, 1905, was the rightful acting lieutenant governor.
- ^ Represented the Republican Party
- ^ Cooley instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.
- ^ Rockwell instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.
- ^ Allott instead ran successfully for the United States Senate.
- ^ Knous instead ran unsuccessfully for governor.
- ^ Hogan instead ran unsuccessfully for governor.
- ^ Schoettler instead ran unsuccessfully for governor.
- ^ Rogers instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the United States House of Representatives.
- ^ Garcia resigned to be President of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
- ^ Lynne instead ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor.
- ^ Primavera's second term began on January 10, 2023, and will expire on January 12, 2027; she will be term-limited.
References
- General
- Mauer, Mike; Otto, Molly; Roesch, Gay (2013). "Presidents and Speakers of the Colorado General Assembly" (PDF). Colorado Legislative Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
- Constitutions
- "Constitution of the State of Colorado, as amended, annotated". Michie's Legal Resources. 1876. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
- "Constitution of the State of Colorado" (PDF). Colorado State Archives. 1876. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
- Specific
- ^ Oesterle, Dale A.; Collins, Richard B. (2011). The Colorado State Constitution. Oxford University Press. p. 102. ISBN 9780199778843.
- ^ "Cornforth is Deposed, Parks Lieutenant Governor". New Castle, Colorado: New Castle Nonpareil. July 8, 1905. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
See also
- Bibliography of Colorado
- Geography of Colorado
- History of Colorado
- Index of Colorado-related articles
- List of Colorado-related lists
- Outline of Colorado