Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
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The Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is a constitutional officer of the state, elected to a 4-year term by popular vote. Unlike some states, the Lieutenant Governor is elected on a separate ticket from the state Governor.
Constitutionally, the Lieutenant Governor's primary job is to serve as President of the Senate. In the case of incapacity of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor assumes the powers (but not the title) of the Governor. Should the Governor die or otherwise leave office, the Lieutenant Governor becomes Governor for the remainder of the term of office.
The office of Lieutenant Governor was created by a state constitutional revision in 1945. Prior to that time, Georgia did not have such an office. Elected in 1946 (for a term to begin in 1947) to be Georgia's first Lieutenant Governor, Melvin Thompson, became involved in the infamous Three Governors affair.
[edit] Lieutenant Governors of Georgia
- Melvin E. Thompson, Democratic Party, 1947-1948
- Marvin Griffin, Democratic Party, 1949-1954
- S. Ernest Vandiver, Democratic Party, 1955-1958
- Garland T. Byrd, Democratic Party, 1959-1962
- Peter Zack Geer, Democratic Party, 1963-1966
- George T. Smith, Democratic Party, 1967-1970
- Lester Maddox, Democratic Party, 1971-1974
- Zell Miller, Democratic Party, 1975-1990
- Pierre Howard, Democratic Party, 1991-1998
- Mark Taylor, Democratic Party, 1999-
- Casey Cagle, Republican Party, elected
