Lieutenant Governors of Texas
Name | Party | Terms | Notes |
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Dan Patrick | Republican | Legislatures: 84th R.S.–89th 2nd C.S. Dates: January 20, 2015–present |
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David Dewhurst | Republican | Legislatures: 78th R.S.–84th R.S. Dates: January 21, 2003–January 20, 2015 |
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Bill Ratliff | Republican | Legislatures: 77th R.S.–78th R.S. Dates: December 28, 2000–January 21, 2003 |
Elected Lieutenant Governor by colleagues in Texas Senate 12/28/2000. |
Rick Perry | Republican | Legislatures: 76th R.S. Dates: January 19, 1999–December 21, 2000 |
Perry vacated the office when he succeeded George W. Bush as Governor of Texas on December 21, 2000. Senate President Pro Tempore Ellis served as acting lieutenant governor until December 28, 2000, when Bill Ratliff was elected by the Senate. |
Bob Bullock | Democrat | Legislatures: 72nd R.S.–76th R.S. Dates: January 15, 1991–January 19, 1999 |
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Bill Hobby | Democrat | Legislatures: 63rd R.S.–72nd R.S. Dates: January 16, 1973–January 15, 1991 |
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Ben Barnes | Democrat | Legislatures: 61st R.S.–63rd R.S. Dates: January 21, 1969–January 16, 1973 |
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Preston Smith | Democrat | Legislatures: 58th R.S.–61st R.S. Dates: January 15, 1963–January 21, 1969 |
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Ben Ramsey | Democrat | Legislatures: 52nd R.S.–57th 2nd C.S. Dates: January 16, 1951–September 18, 1961 |
Ramsey vacated the office when he accepted an appointment as railroad commissioner of Texas on September 18, 1961. Senate presidents pro tem Reagan, Herring, Krueger, and Dies filled in for the vacancy until Preston Smith was inaugurated on January 15, 1963. |
Allan Shivers | Democrat | Legislatures: 50th R.S.–51st R.S. Dates: January 21, 1947–July 11, 1949 |
Shivers vacated the office when he succeeded Beauford Jester as Governor of Texas on July 11, 1949. Senate presidents pro tem Morris, Hazlewood, Lane, and Bullock filled in for the vacancy until Ben Ramsey was inaugurated on January 16, 1951. |
John Lee Smith | Democrat | Legislatures: 48th R.S.–50th R.S. Dates: January 19, 1943–January 21, 1947 |
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Coke R. Stevenson | Democrat | Legislatures: 46th R.S.–47th R.S. Dates: January 17, 1939–August 4, 1941 |
Stevenson vacated the office on August 4,1941, when he succeeded W. Lee O'Daniel as Governor of Texas. Senate presidents pro tem Weinert, Beck, Winfield, Lemens filled in for the vacancy until the inauguration of Lieutenant Governor John Lee Smith on January 19,1943. |
Walter Frank Woodul | Democrat | Legislatures: 44th R.S.–46th R.S. Dates: January 15, 1935–January 17, 1939 |
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Edgar E. Witt | Democrat | Legislatures: 42nd R.S.–44th R.S. Dates: January 20, 1931–January 15, 1935 |
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Barry Miller | Democrat | Legislatures: 39th R.S.–42nd R.S. Dates: January 20, 1925–January 20, 1931 |
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Thomas Whitfield Davidson | Democrat | Legislatures: 38th R.S.–39th R.S. Dates: January 16, 1923–January 20, 1925 |
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Lynch Davidson | Democrat | Legislatures: 37th R.S.–38th R.S. Dates: January 18, 1921–January 16, 1923 |
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Willard Arnold Johnson | Democrat | Legislatures: 36th R.S.–37th R.S. Dates: January 21, 1919–January 18, 1921 |
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William Pettus Hobby | Democrat | Legislatures: 34th R.S.–35th 2nd C.S. Dates: January 19, 1915–September 25, 1917 |
Hobby served as acting governor during the James E. Ferguson impeachment proceedings from 8/25/1917 to 9/25/1917. Hobby succeeded to the governorship following Ferguson's removal from office on 9/25/1917. Senate presidents pro tem Smith, McNealus, Dean, Johnson, Decherd, Johnston, and Strickland filled in for the vacancy until Willard Johnson was inaugurated on January 21, 1919. |
William Harding Mayes | Democrat | Legislatures: 33rd R.S.–33rd 1st C.S. Dates: January 21, 1913–May 6, 1914 |
Mayes tendered his resignation to Governor Colquitt on April 1, 1914, to become Dean of the School of Journalism at the University of Texas. His resignation was not effective until May 6th, 1914, when Colquitt filed Mayes's letter of resignation with the Secretary of State on the same day that Mayes ipso facto forfeited the office of Lieutenant Governor under the dual office holding provisions of the Texas Constitution by accepting his first paycheck from the University. Senate presidents pro tem Collins, Warren, Wiley, Gibson, Morrow, Taylor, Watson, and Nugent filled in for the vacancy until William Hobby was inaugurated on January 19, 1915. |
Asbury Bascom Davidson | Democrat | Legislatures: 30th R.S.–33rd R.S. Dates: January 15, 1907–January 21, 1913 |
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George D. Neal | Democrat | Legislatures: 28th R.S.–30th R.S. Dates: January 20, 1903–January 15, 1907 |
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James Nathan Browning | Democrat | Legislatures: 26th R.S.–28th R.S. Dates: January 17, 1899–January 20, 1903 |
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George Taylor Jester | Democrat | Legislatures: 24th R.S.–26th R.S. Dates: January 15, 1895–January 17, 1899 |
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Martin McNulty Crane | Democrat | Legislatures: 23rd R.S.–24th R.S. Dates: January 17, 1893–January 15, 1895 |
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George Cassety Pendleton | Democrat | Legislatures: 22nd R.S.–23rd R.S. Dates: January 21, 1891–January 17, 1893 |
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Thomas Benton Wheeler | Democrat | Legislatures: 20th R.S.–22nd R.S. Dates: January 19, 1887–January 21, 1891 |
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Barnett Gibbs | Democrat | Legislatures: 19th R.S.–20th R.S. Dates: January 20, 1885–January 19, 1887 |
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Francis Marion Martin | Democrat | Legislatures: 18th R.S.–19th R.S. Dates: January 16, 1883–January 20, 1885 |
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Leonidas Jefferson Storey | Democrat | Legislatures: 17th R.S.–18th R.S. Dates: January 18, 1881–January 16, 1883 |
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Joseph D. Sayers | Democrat | Legislatures: 16th R.S.–17th R.S. Dates: January 21, 1879–January 18, 1881 |
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Richard B. Hubbard | Democrat | Legislatures: 14th R.S.–15th R.S. Dates: January 15, 1874–December 1, 1876 |
Hubbard vacated the office when he succeeded Richard Coke as Governor of Texas on December 1, 1876. Senate president pro tem Thompson filled in for the vacancy until Joseph Sayers was inaugurated on January 21, 1879. |
James Winwright Flanagan | Radical Republican | Legislatures: 12th Provisional Dates: January 8, 1870–February 24, 1870 |
James Winwright Flanagan was elected Lieutenant Governor in the 1869 general election, and was then appointed to the office by General J. J. Reynolds by means of an order issued January 8, 1870. Flanagan was not inaugurated, but he served during the Provisional Session of the 12th Legislature. On February 23, 1870, Flanagan was elected by the Texas Legislature to the U.S. Senate. He continued to serve as Lieutenant Governor until the end of the Provisional Session on February 24, 1870. Donald Campbell, president pro tem, filled in for the vacancy for the 1st Called, Regular, and Adjourned sessions of the 12th Legislature until his death on November 6, 1871. Webster Flanagan was elected president pro tem on November 13, 1871 and filled in for the vacancy for the remainder of the Adjourned Session of the 12th Legislature. Senate presidents pro tem Pickett and Ireland filled in for the vacancy until Richard Hubbard was inaugurated on January 15, 1874. |
George Washington Jones | Democrat | Legislatures: 11th R.S. Dates: August 9, 1866–July 30, 1867 |
Jones was removed from office by General P.H. Sheridan. |
Fletcher Summerfield Stockdale | Democrat | Legislatures: 10th R.S.–10th 2nd C.S. Dates: November 5, 1863–June 17, 1865 |
Stockdale became acting governor on June 12, 1865 when Governor Pendleton Murrah vacated his office and fled to Mexico with other Confederate leaders. Stockdale served as acting governor until June 17, 1865, when Andrew J. Hamilton was appointed Provisional Governor of Texas by President Andrew Johnson. Senate president pro tem Guinn filled in for the vacancy until August 9, 1866. |
John McClannahan Crockett | Democrat | Legislatures: 9th R.S.–10th R.S. Dates: November 7, 1861–November 5, 1863 |
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Edward Clark | Independent | Legislatures: 8th R.S.–8th 1st C.S. Dates: December 21, 1859–March 16, 1861 |
Clark vacated the office March 16, 1861 when he succeeded Sam Houston as Governor of Texas. Senate presidents pro tem Grimes and Guinn filled in for the vacancy until John Crockett was inaugurated on November 7, 1861. |
Francis Richard Lubbock | Democrat | Legislatures: 7th R.S.–8th R.S. Dates: December 21, 1857–December 21, 1859 |
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Hardin Richard Runnels | Democrat | Legislatures: 6th R.S.–7th R.S. Dates: December 21, 1855–December 21, 1857 |
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David Catchings Dickson | Democrat | Legislatures: 5th R.S.–6th R.S. Dates: December 21, 1853–December 21, 1855 |
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James W. Henderson | Democrat | Legislatures: 4th R.S.–5th R.S. Dates: December 22, 1851–November 23, 1853 |
Henderson vacated the office November 23, 1853, when he succeeded Peter Bell as Governor of Texas. Senate president pro tem Taylor filled in for the vacancy until David Dickson was inaugurated on December 21, 1853. |
John Alexander Greer | Democrat | Legislatures: 2nd R.S.–4th R.S. Dates: December 21, 1847–December 22, 1851 |
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Albert Clinton Horton | Democrat | Legislatures: 1st R.S., 2nd R.S.
Dates: May 2, 1846–May 19, 1846 November 13, 1846 - December 21, 1847 |
On February 17, 1846 the Senate and the House of Representatives met in joint session to count the votes for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, after which J. Pinckney Henderson was declared the duly elected Governor and N.H. Darnell was declared the duly elected Lieutenant Governor of the State of Texas. Lt. Governor-elect Darnell set February 23, 1846 as the day on which he would take the oath of office. On February 21, 1846, the legislature discovered that some election returns had not been counted. On February 23, Lt. Governor-elect Darnell declined to take office, and called on the Legislature to reconsider the election returns for Lieutenant Governor. On May 1, 1846, the House and Senate met in joint session to count the votes for Lieutenant Governor, and declared that Albert Clinton Horton had received the majority of the votes, and was the duly and constitutionally elected Lieutenant Governor. On May 2, 1846, Lt. Governor Horton took the oath of office. |
Notes
As specified in Article IV, Section 4 of the Texas Constitution, new lieutenant governors are sworn in to office on first Tuesday after the beginning of the regular session of the legislature. The legislatures listed in the terms column include outgoing lieutenant governors' service between beginning of a legislative session and inauguration of a new lieutenant governor.
Beginning-of-term dates are the official date of a lieutenant governor's inauguration. End-of-term dates are either the official date of the succeeding lieutenant governor's inauguration or the date on which the office was vacated for other reasons. Where a conflict exists as to the exact date, the Senate Journal takes precedence.
Sources:
- The Handbook of Texas Online [Austin, Tex.]: Texas State Historical Association and The General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin, [1999].
- House Journal.Texas House of Representatives.
- Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845, Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-1992. [Austin, Tex.]: Senate Engrossing and Enrolling, Senate Reproduction, [2004].
- Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature 1846-2002. [Austin, Tex.]: Texas Legislative Council, 2002.
- Senate Journal.Texas Senate.