Misplaced Pages

Lieutenant Governor of Colorado
Official seal
Incumbent Dianne Primavera since 8 January 2019
Government of Colorado
Style	The Honorable
Term length	Four years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holder	Lafayette Head
Formation	1877
Salary	$93,360 per year
Website

The lieutenant governor of Colorado is the second-highest-ranking member of the executive department of the Government of Colorado, United States, below the governor of Colorado. The lieutenant governor of Colorado, who acts as governor of Colorado in the absence of the officeholder and succeeds to the governorship in case of vacancy, is elected on a partisan ticket.

After the 1966 general election, the Constitution of Colorado was amended to require the joint election of governor and lieutenant governor — candidates running as a ticket. Prior to this amendment, the lieutenant governor candidate was elected separately from the governor during the same election—sometimes resulting in a governor and a lieutenant governor from different political parties.

The current lieutenant governor is Dianne Primavera, a Democrat, who took office 8 January 2019.

Lieutenant governors

Lieutenant governors of the State of Colorado

No.	Lieutenant Governor			Term in office	Party	Election	Governor
1			Lafayette Head (1825–1897)	August 1, 1876 – January 14, 1879 (did not run)	Republican	1876		John Long Routt
2			Horace Tabor (1830–1899)	January 14, 1879 – January 9, 1881 (did not run)	Republican	1878		Frederick Walker Pitkin
—			George B. Robinson (d. 1880)	Died before taking office	Republican	1880
2			Horace Tabor (1830–1899)	January 9, 1881 – January 9, 1883 (did not run)	Republican
3			William H. Meyer (1847–1923)	January 9, 1883 – January 13, 1885 (did not run)	Republican	1882		James Benton Grant
4			Peter W. Breene (1846–1926)	January 13, 1885 – January 11, 1887 (did not run)	Republican	1884		Benjamin Harrison Eaton
5			Norman H. Meldrum (1841–1920)	January 11, 1887 – January 8, 1889 (did not run)	Democratic	1886		Alva Adams
6			William Grover Smith (1857–1921)	January 8, 1889 – January 13, 1891 (did not run)	Republican	1888		Job Adams Cooper
7			William Story (1843–1921)	January 13, 1891 – January 10, 1893 (did not run)	Republican	1890		John Long Routt
8			David H. Nichols (1826–1900)	January 10, 1893 – January 8, 1895 (did not run)	Populist	1892		Davis Hanson Waite
9			Jared L. Brush (1835–1913)	January 8, 1895 – January 10, 1899 (did not run)	Republican	1894		Albert McIntire
						1896		Alva Adams
10			Francis Patrick Carney (1846–1902)	January 10, 1899 – January 8, 1901 (did not run)	Populist	1898		Charles Spalding Thomas
11			David C. Coates (1868–1933)	January 8, 1901 – January 13, 1903 (did not run)	Democratic	1900		James Bradley Orman
12			Warren A. Haggott (1864–1958)	January 13, 1903 – January 10, 1905 (did not run)	Republican	1902		James Hamilton Peabody
13			Arthur Cornforth (1861–1938)	January 10, 1905 – March 17, 1905 (declared loser in election)	Democratic	1904		Alva Adams
14			Jesse Fuller McDonald (1858–1942)	March 17, 1905 – March 17, 1905 (succeeded to governor)	Republican			James Hamilton Peabody (resigned March 17, 1905)
13			Arthur Cornforth (1861–1938)	March 17, 1905 – July 5, 1905 (removed July 5, 1905)	Democratic	Succeeded from president of the Senate		Jesse Fuller McDonald
15			Fred W. Parks (1871–1941)	July 5, 1905 – January 8, 1907 (did not run)	Republican	Succeeded from president of the Senate
16			Erastus Harper (1854–1927)	January 8, 1907 – January 12, 1909 (did not run)	Republican	1906		Henry Augustus Buchtel
17			Stephen R. Fitzgarrald (1854–1926)	January 12, 1909 – January 14, 1913 (did not run)	Democratic	1908		John F. Shafroth
						1910
18			Benjamin F. Montgomery (1834–1912)	January 14, 1913 – January 12, 1915 (did not run)	Democratic	1912		Elias M. Ammons
19			Moses E. Lewis (1854–1951)	January 12, 1915 – January 9, 1917 (lost election)	Republican	1914		George Alfred Carlson
20			James Pulliam (1863–1934)	January 9, 1917 – January 14, 1919 (did not run)	Democratic	1916		Julius Caldeen Gunter
21			George Stephan (1862–1944)	January 14, 1919 – January 11, 1921 (did not run)	Republican	1918		Oliver Henry Shoup
22			Earl Cooley (1880–1940)	January 11, 1921 – January 9, 1923 (did not run)	Republican	1920
23			Robert F. Rockwell (1886–1950)	January 9, 1923 – January 13, 1925 (did not run)	Republican	1922		William Ellery Sweet
24			Sterling Byrd Lacy (1882–1957)	January 13, 1925 – January 11, 1927 (did not run)	Democratic	1924		Clarence Morley
25			George Milton Corlett (1884–1955)	January 11, 1927 – January 13, 1931 (did not run)	Republican	1926		Billy Adams
						1928
26			Edwin C. Johnson (1884–1970)	January 13, 1931 – January 10, 1933 (elected governor)	Democratic	1930
27			Ray Herbert Talbot (1896–1955)	January 10, 1933 – January 1, 1937 (succeeded to governor)	Democratic	1932		Edwin C. Johnson (resigned January 2, 1937)
						1934
—	Vacant			January 1, 1937 – January 12, 1937	Office vacated by succession to governor			Ray Herbert Talbot
28			Frank Hayes (1882–1948)	January 12, 1937 – January 10, 1939 (lost election)	Democratic	1936		Teller Ammons
29			John Charles Vivian (1887–1964)	January 10, 1939 – January 12, 1943 (elected governor)	Republican	1938		Ralph Lawrence Carr
						1940
30			William Eugene Higby (1884–1967)	January 12, 1943 – January 14, 1947 (did not run)	Republican	1942		John Charles Vivian
						1944
31			Homer L. Pearson (1900–1985)	January 14, 1947 – January 11, 1949 (lost election)	Democratic	1946		William Lee Knous (resigned April 15, 1950)
32			Walter Walford Johnson (1904–1987)	January 11, 1949 – April 15, 1950 (succeeded to governor)	Democratic	1948
33			Charles P. Murphy (1882–1953)	April 15, 1950 – January 9, 1951 (did not run)	Republican	Succeeded from president of the Senate		Walter Walford Johnson
34			Gordon Allott (1907–1989)	January 9, 1951 – January 11, 1955 (did not run)	Republican	1950		Daniel I. J. Thornton
						1952
35			Stephen McNichols (1914–1997)	January 11, 1955 – January 8, 1957 (elected governor)	Democratic	1954		Edwin C. Johnson
36			Frank L. Hays (1922–2003)	January 8, 1957 – January 13, 1959 (lost election)	Republican	1956		Stephen McNichols
37			Robert Lee Knous (1917–2000)	January 13, 1959 – January 10, 1967 (did not run)	Democratic	1958
						1962		John Arthur Love (resigned July 16, 1973)
38			Mark Anthony Hogan (1931–2017)	January 10, 1967 – January 12, 1971 (did not run)	Democratic	1966
39			John D. Vanderhoof (1922–2013)	January 12, 1971 – July 16, 1973 (succeeded to governor)	Republican	1970
40			Ted L. Strickland (1932–2012)	July 16, 1973 – January 14, 1975 (lost election)	Republican	Succeeded from president of the Senate		John D. Vanderhoof
41			George L. Brown (1926–2006)	January 14, 1975 – January 10, 1979 (did not run)	Democratic	1974		Richard Lamm
42			Nancy E. Dick (b. 1930)	January 10, 1979 – January 13, 1987 (did not run)	Democratic	1978
						1982
43			Mike Callihan (b. 1947)	January 13, 1987 – May 10, 1994 (resigned)	Democratic	1986		Roy Romer
						1990
—	Vacant			May 10, 1994 – May 11, 1994	Office vacated by succession to governor
44			Samuel H. Cassidy (b. 1950)	May 11, 1994 – January 3, 1995 (did not run)	Democratic	Appointed by governor
45			Gail Schoettler (b. 1943)	January 3, 1995 – January 12, 1999 (did not run)	Democratic	1994
46			Joe Rogers (1964–2013)	January 12, 1999 – January 14, 2003 (did not run)	Republican	1998		Bill Owens
47			Jane E. Norton (b. 1954)	January 14, 2003 – January 9, 2007 (did not run)	Republican	2002
48			Barbara O'Brien (b. 1950)	January 9, 2007 – January 11, 2011 (did not run)	Democratic	2006		Bill Ritter
49			Joseph Garcia (b. 1957)	January 11, 2011 – May 12, 2016 (resigned)	Democratic	2010		John Hickenlooper
						2014
50			Donna Lynne (b. 1953)	May 12, 2016 – January 8, 2019 (did not run)	Democratic	Appointed by governor
51			Dianne Primavera (b. 1950)	January 8, 2019 – Incumbent	Democratic	2018		Jared Polis
						2022

Notes

1. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
2. Robinson was elected in the 1880 election, but died before taking office; the sitting lieutenant governor, Tabor, claimed the office and held it for the term.
3. ^ Represented the Democratic Party.
4. Breene instead ran successfully for Colorado State Treasurer.
5. ^ The 1904 gubernatorial election was rife with fraud and controversy. Adams and Cornforth won election, but soon after Adams took office the Republican legislature declared Peabody to be the actual winner, on the condition that Peabody immediately tender his resignation, postdated to the next day. Peabody's lieutenant governor, McDonald, then succeeded to the governorship. Cornforth, as president pro tempore of the senate, acted as lieutenant governor until the Colorado Supreme Court declared that Parks, who had been elected president pro tempore of the senate on April 3, 1905, was the rightful acting lieutenant governor.
6. ^ Represented the Republican Party
7. Cooley instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.
8. Rockwell instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for governor.
9. Allott instead ran successfully for the United States Senate.
10. Knous instead ran unsuccessfully for governor.
11. Hogan instead ran unsuccessfully for governor.
12. Schoettler instead ran unsuccessfully for governor.
13. Rogers instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the United States House of Representatives.
14. Garcia resigned to be President of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
15. Lynne instead ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor.
16. Primavera's second term began on January 10, 2023, and will expire on January 12, 2027; she will be term-limited.

References

General

• Mauer, Mike; Otto, Molly; Roesch, Gay (2013). "Presidents and Speakers of the Colorado General Assembly" (PDF). Colorado Legislative Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-12. Retrieved 2015-08-15.

Constitutions

• "Constitution of the State of Colorado, as amended, annotated". Michie's Legal Resources. 1876. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
• "Constitution of the State of Colorado" (PDF). Colorado State Archives. 1876. Retrieved October 22, 2008.

Specific

1. Oesterle, Dale A.; Collins, Richard B. (2011). The Colorado State Constitution. Oxford University Press. p. 102. ISBN 9780199778843.
2. "Cornforth is Deposed, Parks Lieutenant Governor". New Castle, Colorado: New Castle Nonpareil. July 8, 1905. Retrieved November 28, 2018.

See also

• Bibliography of Colorado
• Geography of Colorado
• History of Colorado
• Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of Colorado-related lists
• Outline of Colorado

External links

• State of Colorado website
  • Office of the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Colorado
    • Biographies of the Lieutenant Governors of the State of Colorado from the Colorado State Archives

v t e State of Colorado
Denver (capital)
Topics	Bibliography Index Outline Climate change Colleges Coloradans Elections Federal lands Geography Government Historic places History Images Indian reservations Law Lists Military Mountains Municipalities Museums National Forests National Parks Paleontology Prehistoric sites Prehistory Protected areas Railroads Rivers Slavery Statistical areas Symbols Timeline Tourist attractions Towns Trails Transportation Wildernesses
Society	Abortion Crime Culture Demographics Economy Education Gun laws Homelessness LGBT rights Politics Religion Sports
Cities	Alamosa Arvada Aspen Aurora Black Hawk Boulder Brighton Broomfield Brush Burlington Cañon City Castle Pines Centennial Central City Cherry Hills Village Colorado Springs Commerce City Cortez Craig Cripple Creek Dacono Delta Denver Durango Edgewater Englewood Evans Federal Heights Florence Fort Collins Fort Lupton Fort Morgan Fountain Fruita Glendale Glenwood Springs Golden Grand Junction Greeley Greenwood Village Gunnison Holyoke Idaho Springs La Junta Lafayette Lakewood Lamar Las Animas Leadville Littleton Lone Tree Longmont Louisville Loveland Manitou Springs Monte Vista Montrose Northglenn Ouray Pueblo Rifle Rocky Ford Salida Sheridan Steamboat Springs Sterling Thornton Trinidad Victor Walsenburg Westminster Wheat Ridge Woodland Park Wray Yuma
Counties	Adams Alamosa Arapahoe Archuleta Baca Bent Boulder Broomfield Chaffee Cheyenne Clear Creek Conejos Costilla Crowley Custer Delta Denver Dolores Douglas Eagle El Paso Elbert Fremont Garfield Gilpin Grand Gunnison Hinsdale Huerfano Jackson Jefferson Kiowa Kit Carson La Plata Lake Larimer Las Animas Lincoln Logan Mesa Mineral Moffat Montezuma Montrose Morgan Otero Ouray Park Phillips Pitkin Prowers Pueblo Rio Blanco Rio Grande Routt Saguache San Juan San Miguel Sedgwick Summit Teller Washington Weld Yuma
Regions	Central Colorado Eastern Plains Colorado Mineral Belt Colorado Piedmont Colorado Plateau Colorado Western Slope Denver Metropolitan Area Four Corners Region Front Range Urban Corridor High Plains North Central Colorado Urban Area Northwestern Colorado San Luis Valley South-Central Colorado South Central Colorado Urban Area Southern Rocky Mountains Southwest Colorado
Colorado portal

v t e Lieutenant governors of Colorado
Head Tabor Meyer Breene Meldrum Smith Story Nichols Brush Carney Coates Haggott Cornforth McDonald Cornforth Parks Harper Fitzgarrald Lewis Pulliam Stephan Cooley Rockwell Lacy Corlett E. Johnson Talbot Hayes Vivian Higby Pearson W. Johnson Murphy Allott McNichols Hays Knous Hogan Vanderhoof Strickland Brown Dick Callihan Cassidy Schoettler Rogers Norton O'Brien Garcia Lynne Primavera

v t e Colorado statewide elected officials
Governor Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Attorney General Treasurer

v t e  Lists of people from Colorado
By city	Arvada Aspen Aurora Colorado Springs Denver mayors Englewood Golden Highlands Ranch La Junta Lakewood Las Animas Littleton mayors Westminster Wheat Ridge
By office	Governors Lieutenant Governors Secretaries of State Attorneys General Treasurers Supreme Court justices U.S. Senators U.S. Representatives
By alma mater	Colorado College Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University United States Air Force Academy University of Colorado Boulder University of Denver

38°59′50″N 105°32′52″W / 38.9972°N 105.5478°W / 38.9972; -105.5478 (State of Colorado)

• Lieutenant governors of Colorado
• Lists of state lieutenant governors of the United States
• Lists of Colorado politicians