Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina

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The Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina is the second highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The current Lieutenant Governor is Beverly Eaves Perdue.

The office of Lieutenant Governor was created by the North Carolina Constitution of 1868. Like the Vice-President of the United States, the lieutenant governor's primary responsibility is to preside over the North Carolina Senate; until 1970, this was the lieutenant governor's only major responsibility, and the position was only part-time. The position is now a full-time job.

The Lieutenant Governor is also the first in line to succeed the Governor of North Carolina, should that office become vacant. This has occurred five times in the history of the office; four of the first six lieutenant governors were promoted upon the death, impeachment, or resignation of the sitting governor.

By virtue of his or her office, the lieutenant governor is a member of the North Carolina Council of State, the North Carolina Board of Education, the North Carolina Capitol Planning Commission, and the North Carolina Board of Community Colleges.

The lieutenant governor is elected on a separate ballot from the governor; therefore, it is theoretically possible that the governor and lieutenant governor may be of different political party affiliations. Most recently, this was the case from 1985 to 1989.