Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Lt. Governor of State of Hawaii | |
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Term length | Four years, renewable once |
Inaugural holder | James Kealoha |
Formation | 1959 |
Website | Office of the Lt. Governor |
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Hawaii |
Constitution |
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Inferior Jurisdictions |
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The Lieutenant Governor of Hawaiʻi, concurrently the Secretary of State of Hawaiʻi, is the assistant chief executive of that U.S. state and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaiʻi State Constitution Article V, Sections 2 though 6. The Lieutenant Governor is elected by popular suffrage of residents of the state on the same ticket as the Governor of Hawaiʻi. The Lieutenant Governor becomes acting Governor upon the absence of the Governor from the state, or if the Governor becomes disabled from duty. Historically, Lieutenant Governors were members of either the Hawaiʻi Democratic Party or Hawaiʻi Republican Party.
Three Lieutenant Governors have gone on to become Governor of Hawaii: George Ariyoshi, Ben Cayetano, and John D. Waihee III.
Qualifications
The Lieutenant Governor of Hawaiʻi is limited to two four-year terms. Inauguration takes place on the first Monday in December following a gubernatorial election. A single term ends at noon four years later. The Lieutenant Governor must be thirty years old and be a resident of Hawaiʻi for five consecutive years previous to election. Unlike other states, the office of Lieutenant Governor of Hawaiʻi is a full-time position and requires that the Lieutenant Governor be barred from other professions or paid positions during the term.
List of lieutenant governors
- Parties
# | Image | Lt. Governor | Took Office | Left Office | Party | Governor(s) served under |
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1 | James Kealoha | August 21, 1959 | December 2, 1962 | Republican | William F. Quinn | |
2 | William S. Richardson | December 2, 1962 | December 2, 1966 | Democratic | John A. Burns | |
3 | Thomas Gill | December 2, 1966 | December 2, 1970 | Democratic | ||
4 | George Ariyoshi | December 2, 1970 | December 2, 1974 | Democratic | ||
5 | Nelson Doi | December 2, 1974 | December 2, 1978 | Democratic | George Ariyoshi | |
6 | Jean King | December 2, 1978 | December 2, 1982 | Democratic | ||
7 | John D. Waihee | December 2, 1982 | December 2, 1986 | Democratic | ||
8 | Ben Cayetano | December 2, 1986 | December 2, 1994 | Democratic | John D. Waihee | |
9 | Mazie Hirono | December 2, 1994 | December 2, 2002 | Democratic | Ben Cayetano | |
10 | Duke Aiona | December 4, 2002 | December 6, 2010 | Republican | Linda Lingle | |
11 | Brian Schatz | December 6, 2010 | December 26, 2012 | Democratic | Neil Abercrombie | |
12 | Shan Tsutsui | December 27, 2012 | Incumbent | Democratic | ||
David Ige |
Living former U.S. Lieutenant Governors of Hawaii
As of January 2017, there are six former U.S. lieutenant governors of Hawaii who are currently living at this time, the oldest U.S. lieutenant governor of Hawaii being George Ariyoshi (served 1970–1974, born 1926). The most recent death of a former U.S. lieutenant governor of Hawaii was that of Nelson Doi (served 1974–1978, born 1922), who died on May 16, 2015. The most recently serving lieutenant governor to die was Jean King (1978-1982, born 1925) on November 24, 2013.
Lt. Governor | Lt. Gubernatorial term | Date of birth (and age) |
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George Ariyoshi | 1970–1974 | March 12, 1926 |
John D. Waihee III | 1982–1986 | May 19, 1946 |
Benjamin J. Cayetano | 1986–1994 | November 4, 1939 |
Mazie Hirono | 1994–2002 | November 3, 1947 |
Duke Aiona | 2002–2010 | June 8, 1955 |
Brian Schatz | 2010–2012 | October 20, 1972 |