On Friday, the Arizona Senate Government Committee passed Sen. JD Mesnard’s bill, SB1255, which will establish the office of Lieutenant Governor. Currently Arizona is one of only seven states that do not have the office.
Under Mesnard’s bill, a candidate for Lieutenant Governor would run with a candidate for Governor, as it is done in 26 other states. The 17 other states elect their Lieutenant Governor separately from their Governor.
Currently in Arizona, the Secretary of State would replace the Governor should he or she vacate the office early. This has happened several times in Arizona history and can result in a situation where the voters elect a Republican or Democratic Governor, only to have them replaced by a Secretary of State from the opposite party.
Mesnard’s bill would provide certainty for voters and the state, according to supporters. “People elect a Governor because they want the state to go in a certain direction. They aren’t thinking of the Governor’s office when they elect a Secretary of State, they’re thinking about who should be running elections when they pick a Secretary of State. So if something happens to the Governor, the direction the voters wanted the state to go can do a complete 180 in a day, and that is terrible for a state.” said one Capitol observer.
SB1255 would also require that the Lieutenant Governor would serve as the Director of the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA). Because ADOA supports the business and administrative operations of the state government, the work would give the Lieutenant Governor greater familiarity with state government should he or she need to serve as Governor.
SB125 requires voter approval. Should the bill be signed by the Governor, it will be on the ballot during the next general election, and if it passes, will place both offices on the ballot starting in 2026.