Legislative library home page
Legislative Reference Library of Texas
your partner in legislative research

Lieutenant Governors of Texas

Name Party Terms Notes
Dan Patrick Republican Legislatures: 84th R.S.–89th 2nd C.S.
Dates: January 20, 2015–present
David Dewhurst Republican Legislatures: 78th R.S.–84th R.S.
Dates: January 21, 2003–January 20, 2015
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
Bill Hobby Democrat Legislatures: 63rd R.S.–72nd R.S.
Dates: January 16, 1973–January 15, 1991
Ben Barnes Democrat Legislatures: 61st R.S.–63rd R.S.
Dates: January 21, 1969–January 16, 1973
Preston Smith Democrat Legislatures: 58th R.S.–61st R.S.
Dates: January 15, 1963–January 21, 1969
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
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
Edgar E. Witt Democrat Legislatures: 42nd R.S.–44th R.S.
Dates: January 20, 1931–January 15, 1935
Barry Miller Democrat Legislatures: 39th R.S.–42nd R.S.
Dates: January 20, 1925–January 20, 1931
Thomas Whitfield Davidson Democrat Legislatures: 38th R.S.–39th R.S.
Dates: January 16, 1923–January 20, 1925
Lynch Davidson Democrat Legislatures: 37th R.S.–38th R.S.
Dates: January 18, 1921–January 16, 1923
Willard Arnold Johnson Democrat Legislatures: 36th R.S.–37th R.S.
Dates: January 21, 1919–January 18, 1921
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
George D. Neal Democrat Legislatures: 28th R.S.–30th R.S.
Dates: January 20, 1903–January 15, 1907
James Nathan Browning Democrat Legislatures: 26th R.S.–28th R.S.
Dates: January 17, 1899–January 20, 1903
George Taylor Jester Democrat Legislatures: 24th R.S.–26th R.S.
Dates: January 15, 1895–January 17, 1899
Martin McNulty Crane Democrat Legislatures: 23rd R.S.–24th R.S.
Dates: January 17, 1893–January 15, 1895
George Cassety Pendleton Democrat Legislatures: 22nd R.S.–23rd R.S.
Dates: January 21, 1891–January 17, 1893
Thomas Benton Wheeler Democrat Legislatures: 20th R.S.–22nd R.S.
Dates: January 19, 1887–January 21, 1891
Barnett Gibbs Democrat Legislatures: 19th R.S.–20th R.S.
Dates: January 20, 1885–January 19, 1887
Francis Marion Martin Democrat Legislatures: 18th R.S.–19th R.S.
Dates: January 16, 1883–January 20, 1885
Leonidas Jefferson Storey Democrat Legislatures: 17th R.S.–18th R.S.
Dates: January 18, 1881–January 16, 1883
Joseph D. Sayers Democrat Legislatures: 16th R.S.–17th R.S.
Dates: January 21, 1879–January 18, 1881
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
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
Hardin Richard Runnels Democrat Legislatures: 6th R.S.–7th R.S.
Dates: December 21, 1855–December 21, 1857
David Catchings Dickson Democrat Legislatures: 5th R.S.–6th R.S.
Dates: December 21, 1853–December 21, 1855
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
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.