Description and Duties
The lieutenant governor is currently the second-ranking member of the executive branch of the state Government of Florida. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the office of governor if the office becomes vacant, and may also serve as acting governor of the governor is incapacitated or absent from the state.
In the modern setup the lieutenant governor is elected on the same party ticket as the gubernatorial candidate. Although gubernatorial candidates are not required to have a running mate for the party primary elections, the state constitution requires a "joint candidacy" for the general election. Statewide elections for governor, lieutenant governor and the state cabinet take place every four years.
Once elected, the lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession, serving upon vacancy in the office of governor. The position of Lieutenant Governor of Florida was restored with the 1968 revision of the Florida state constitution (See Article IV, Section 2). Prior to 1968, the president of the state senate was first in the line of succession. According to the state constitution, the conditions for succession include impeachment or incapacity of the sitting governor. Incapacity is determined by state supreme court after recommendation by three cabinet members or otherwise certified by the governor with the state custodian of records (the Secretary of State of Florida). The Lieutenant Governor can be impeached for committing a "misdemeanor in office" by the State Legislature, and convicted and thereby removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the State Senate. Two lieutenant governors have assumed the office of Governor since 1968. Wayne Mixson become governor briefly when Bob Graham resigned to assume his elected seat in the U.S. Senate. Buddy MacKay completed the unfinished term of outgoing Governor Lawton Chiles after the late governor died in office.
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