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Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico
Vicegobernador de Nuevo México
Seal of New Mexico
Incumbent
Howie Morales
since January 1, 2019
Term lengthFour years
Formation1912
First holderEzequiel Cabeza De Baca
WebsiteLieutenant Governor of New Mexico
Politics of New Mexico
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary

See also:

Elections
Inferior jurisdictions
Federal representation

The lieutenant governor of New Mexico (Spanish: vicegobernador de Nuevo México) is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of New Mexico, ranking just below the governor. Thirty individuals have held the office of lieutenant governor since statehood, two of them serving non-consecutively. The incumbent is Howie Morales, a Democrat.

Election and term of office

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The lieutenant governor is elected on a joint ticket with the governor for a four-year term. While the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket in the general election, the candidates run separately during primary elections.[1]

Prior to November 4, 2008, the New Mexico State Constitution did not provide for the nomination of a replacement for lieutenant governor after the governor's office was succeeded. [a] Section 16 of Article V of the New Mexico State Constitution gives the governor the power to nominate a replacement for lieutenant governor upon confirmation of the nominee by a majority of the State Senate.[2]

Powers and duties

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The lieutenant governor is the first person in the gubernatorial line of succession by virtue of the New Mexico Constitution. Thus, the lieutenant governor serves as acting governor whenever the incumbent governor is absent from the state, incapacitated by reason of illness, or impeached by the House of Representatives and otherwise becomes governor in the event of the incumbent's death, resignation, or removal from office.[3] Likewise, the lieutenant governor is ex officio president of the Senate.[4] In this capacity as Senate president, the lieutenant governor has plenary authority to preserve decorum, to rule on points of order, and to certify all instruments of process coming before the Senate. The lieutenant governor may also cast tie-breaking votes, but only when the Senate is equally divided on a question.[5]

Aside from these constitutional functions, the lieutenant governor performs several statutory functions. Foremost among them, the lieutenant governor serves as an ombudsperson for the whole of state government, investigating and attempting to resolve citizen complaints filed by New Mexicans in relation to their dealings with state agencies.[6] The lieutenant governor is also a statutory member of the governor's Cabinet and of various state boards and commissions.[7][b]

List of lieutenant governors of New Mexico

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The office of lieutenant governor was created on January 6, 1912, the year New Mexico was admitted into the Union as the 48th state. Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca served as New Mexico's first lieutenant governor. Over the intervening years, New Mexico has had 27 individuals in the lieutenant governor's office, two of whom have served non-consecutive terms. The last lieutenant governor to succeed to the governorship was Tom Bolack, following the resignation of Edwin L. Mechem on November 30, 1962. Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca is the only lieutenant governor to be elected as governor in a later term.[9]

  Democrats (20 lieutenant governors)   Republicans (10 lieutenant governors)

# Image Lt. Governor Took office Left office Party Governor(s) served with Years in office
1 Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca January 6, 1912 January 1, 1917 Democratic William C. McDonald 5[note 1]
2 Washington E. Lindsey January 1, 1917 February 18, 1917 Republican Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca 1 1⁄6[note 2]
vacant February 18, 1917 January 1, 1919 Washington E. Lindsey
3 Benjamin F. Pankey January 1, 1919 January 1, 1921 Republican Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo 2
4 William Duckworth January 1, 1921 January 1, 1923 Republican Merritt C. Mechem 2
5 José A. Baca January 1, 1923 May 1924 Democratic James F. Hinkle 1 1⁄3[note 3]
vacant May 1924 January 1, 1925 James F. Hinkle
6 Edward G. Sargent January 1, 1925 January 1, 1929 Republican Arthur T. Hannett 4
Richard C. Dillon
7 Hugh B. Woodward January 1, 1929 July 1929 Republican Richard C. Dillon 1⁄2[note 4]
vacant July 1929 January 1, 1931 Richard C. Dillon
8 Andrew W. Hockenhull January 1, 1931 September 25, 1933 Democratic Arthur Seligman 2 3⁄4[note 5]
vacant September 25, 1933 January 1, 1935 Andrew W. Hockenhull
9 Louis Cabeza de Baca January 1, 1935 January 1, 1937 Democratic Clyde Tingley 2
10 Hiram M. Dow January 1, 1937 January 1, 1939 Democratic Clyde Tingley 2
11 James Murray, Sr. January 1, 1939 January 1, 1941 Democratic John E. Miles 2
12 Ceferino Quintana January 1, 1941 January 1, 1943 Democratic John E. Miles 2
13 James B. Jones January 1, 1943 January 1, 1947 Democratic John J. Dempsey 4
14 Joseph Montoya January 1, 1947 January 1, 1951 Democratic Thomas J. Mabry 4
15 Tibo J. Chávez January 1, 1951 January 1, 1955 Democratic Edwin L. Mechem 4
16 Joseph Montoya January 1, 1955 April 1957 Democratic John F. Simms 2 1⁄3[note 6]
Edwin L. Mechem
vacant April 1957 January 1, 1959 Edwin L. Mechem
17 Ed V. Mead January 1, 1959 January 1, 1961 Democratic John Burroughs 2
18 Tom Bolack January 1, 1961 November 30, 1962 Democratic Edwin L. Mechem 1 5⁄6[note 7]
vacant November 30, 1962 January 1, 1963 Tom Bolack
19 Mack Easley January 1, 1963 January 1, 1967 Democratic Jack M. Campbell 4
20 Lee Francis January 1, 1967 January 1, 1971 Republican David Cargo 4
21 Roberto Mondragón January 1, 1971 January 1, 1975 Democratic Bruce King 4
22 Robert E. Ferguson January 1, 1975 January 1, 1979 Democratic Jerry Apodaca 4
23 Roberto Mondragón January 1, 1979 January 1, 1983 Democratic Bruce King 4
24 Mike Runnels January 1, 1983 January 1, 1987 Democratic Toney Anaya 4
25 Jack L. Stahl January 1, 1987 January 1, 1991 Republican Garrey Carruthers 4
26 Casey Luna January 1, 1991 January 1, 1995 Democratic Bruce King 4
27 Walter D. Bradley January 1, 1995 January 1, 2003 Republican Gary Johnson 8
28 Diane Denish January 1, 2003 January 1, 2011 Democratic Bill Richardson 8[note 8]
29 John Sanchez January 1, 2011 January 1, 2019 Republican Susana Martinez 8
30 Howie Morales January 1, 2019 Incumbent Democratic Michelle Lujan Grisham 1

Notes

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  1. ^ Since the first state election was in an odd-numbered year (1911), the term lasted five years.
  2. ^ Succeeded Governor Ca. de Baca on February 18, 1917 after the Governor's death.
  3. ^ Died in office in May 1924.
  4. ^ Resigned in July 1929 to accept a U.S. Attorneyship.
  5. ^ Succeeded Governor Seligman on September 25, 1933 after the Governor's death.
  6. ^ Resigned in April 1957 to serve as U.S. Representative.
  7. ^ Succeeded Governor Mechem on November 30, 1962 after the Governor's resignation.
  8. ^ First female Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico.

Footnotes

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  1. ^ this is the reason the number of governors is greater than the number of lieutenant governors.
  2. ^ Those boards and commissions are the State Board of Finance, the New Mexico Border Authority, the New Mexico Children’s Cabinet, the Community Development Council, the Military Base Planning Commission, the Mortgage Finance Authority, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, and the New Mexico Youth Alliance.[8]

References

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  1. ^ New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State (December 1, 2022). "Article V, Section 1, Constitution of the State of New Mexico" (PDF). New Mexico Compilation Commission. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  2. ^ New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State (December 1, 2022). "Article V, Section 16, Constitution of the State of New Mexico" (PDF). New Mexico Compilation Commission. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  3. ^ New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State (December 1, 2022). "Article V, Section 7, Constitution of the State of New Mexico" (PDF). New Mexico Compilation Commission. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  4. ^ New Mexico Office of the Secretary of State (December 1, 2022). "Article IV, Section 8 and Article V, Section 8, Constitution of the State of New Mexico" (PDF). New Mexico Compilation Commission. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  5. ^ "Rules 4-1 to 4-6, New Mexico Senate" (PDF). New Mexico Legislature. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "8-3-1 New Mexico Statutes Annotated". New Mexico Compilation Commission. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  7. ^ "9-1-3 New Mexico Statutes Annotated". New Mexico Compilation Commission. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  8. ^ "Duties of the Lt. Governor". New Mexico Office of the Lieutenant Governor. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  9. ^ State of New Mexico (July 2012). Kathryn A. Flynn (ed.). 2012 Centennial Blue Book (PDF). Diana J. Duran. Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. pp. 218–219. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2013-04-03.
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