The Office of Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana is the second highest state office in Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

. The current Lieutenant Governor is Jay Dardenne

Jay Dardenne

John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. , has been Louisiana's Republican lieutenant governor since November 22, 2010. He won a special election to the position held in conjunction with the regular November 2 general election. At the time, Dardenne was Louisiana secretary of state...

, a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

. He was elected in a special election on November 2, 2010 to replace Mitch Landrieu

Mitch Landrieu

Mitchell Joseph "Mitch" Landrieu is the Mayor of New Orleans, former Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, and a member of the Landrieu family. Landrieu is a member of the Democratic Party and a Roman Catholic. He is the son of former New Orleans mayor and Secretary of the United States Department of...

, who was elected

New Orleans mayoral election, 2010

The New Orleans mayoral election of 2010 is an election for Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana. The first round of voting took place on December 9 through December 11, 2009, and the election occurred on February 6, 2010...

 to the office of Mayor of New Orleans on February 6, 2010 and resigned as Lieutenant Governor to assume the mayoral office on May 3, 2010. As prescribed in the Louisiana Constitution

Louisiana Constitution

The Constitution of the State of Louisiana is the cornerstone of Louisiana state law ensuring the rights of individuals, describing the distribution and power of state officials and local government, establishes the state and city civil service systems, creates and defines the operation of a state...

, Governor Bobby Jindal

Bobby Jindal

Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....

 had appointed Scott Angelle to serve as the interim Lieutenant Governor until the special election could be held.

Paul J. Hardy, who served from 1988 to 1992, was the first Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 in the position after the Reconstruction Era.

History

The office was first hatched by the Louisiana Constitution of 1845. Prior to that, the successor to the Governor in the event of his death or resignation was the President of the Louisiana Senate. A number of State Senate Presidents succeeded Governors before the 1845 Constitution was adopted, including Henry S. Thibodaux

Henry S. Thibodaux

Henry Schuyler Thibodaux was the fourth Governor of Louisiana briefly. Born in Albany, New York the son of Alexis Thibodeaux of Canada, he was orphaned and adopted by General Philip Schuyler - American Revolutionary War hero and father-in-law of Alexander Hamilton...

, Armand Beauvais

Armand Beauvais

Armand Julie Beauvais was a Justice of the Peace, a Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, President of the Louisiana Senate and the seventh Governor of Louisiana.He was born September 6, 1783 in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana...

 and Jacques Dupre

Jacques Dupre

Jacques Dupré was a Louisiana State Representative, State Senator and the eighth Governor.Born in New Orleans the eldest son of Laurent Dupré de Terrebonne and Marie Josephine Fontenot, Dupré grew up in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana...

.

The Lieutenant Governor presided over the Louisiana Senate from 1845 until the adoption of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974

Louisiana Constitution

The Constitution of the State of Louisiana is the cornerstone of Louisiana state law ensuring the rights of individuals, describing the distribution and power of state officials and local government, establishes the state and city civil service systems, creates and defines the operation of a state...

. Today, the Lieutenant Governor exercises powers delegated to him by the Governor as provided by law. [He] also serves as governor in the event of a vacancy in the office, if the Governor is unable to act as governor, or is out of state. Under the constitution, the Lieutenant Governor no longer serves as ex-officio president of the Senate, but he is made an ex-officio member of each committee, board and commission on which the Governor serves. (Louisiana Constitution Article IV, Section 6) Additionally, the Lieutenant Governor serves as Commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

1846-1860

No.	|Lt. Governor	Took Office	Left Office	Party	Notes
1	Trasimond Landry		1846	1849		Calhoun, Milburn, and Bernie McGovern. Louisiana Almanac, 2002-2003 Edition. Gretna, LA: Pelican Pub. Co, 2001. PP 462-63
2	Jean Baptiste Plauche Jean Baptiste Plauché Jean Baptiste Plauché was a Louisiana soldier and politician. He was Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, from 1850 - 1853. In the Battle of New Orleans, Major Plauché headed the New Orleans uniformed militia companies.He was married to Mathilde St...		1850	1852
3	William Wood Farmer		1853	1854	Democratic
4	Robert C. Wickliffe Robert C. Wickliffe Robert Charles Wickliffe was Lieutenant Governor and the 15th Governor of Louisiana from 1856-60.-Early life and education:...		1854	1856	Democratic
5	Charles Homer Mouton		1856		Democratic
6	William F. Griffin		1857	1859	Democratic

Lieutenant Governors of Confederate Louisiana

No.	|Lt. Governor	Took Office	Left Office	Party	Notes
7	Henry M. Hyams		1860	1864	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
8	Benjamin W. Pearce		1864	1866	Democratic

Lieutenant Governors of Union-held territory in Louisiana

No.	|Lt. Governor	Took Office	Left Office	Party	Notes
9	James M. Wells		1862	1864	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
10	Albert Voorhies		1864	1866	Republican

Resumption of U.S. Statehood

No.	|Lt. Governor	Took Office	Left Office	Party	Notes
11	Oscar J. Dunn		1868	1872	Republican
12	P. B. S. Pinchback P. B. S. Pinchback Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback was the first non-white and first person of African American descent to become governor of a U.S. state...		1872	1873	Republican
13	C.C. Antoine		1873	1877	Republican
14	Louis A. Wiltz Louis A. Wiltz Louis Alfred Wiltz was an American politician from the state of Louisiana. He served as 29th Governor of Louisiana from 1880 to 1881 and before that time was mayor of New Orleans, lieutenant governor of Louisiana, and a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.Wiltz was born in New Orleans...		1877	1880	Democratic
15	Samuel D. McEnery Samuel D. McEnery Samuel Douglas McEnery served as the 30th Governor of Louisiana from 1881 until 1888, and as a United States Senator from 1897 until 1910....		1880	1881	Democratic
16	W.A. Robertson W.A. Robertson Dr. William A. Robertson was President of the Louisiana State Senate and Acting Lieutenant Governor for two and a half months in 1881.-Political career:...		1881	1881	Democratic
17	George L. Walton George L. Walton George L. Walton was President of the Louisiana State Senate and Acting Lieutenant Governor from 1881 - 1884.-Early life and Civil War:Walton married Amanda Miller in 1855....		1882	1884	Democratic
18	Clay Knobloch Clay Knobloch Henry Clay Kobloch, also spelled Knoblock, was Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1885 - 1889.-Early life and Civil War:...		1884	1888	Democratic
19	James Jeffries		1888	1892	Democratic
20	Charles Parlange Charles Parlange Charles Parlange was a Louisiana state senator, United States Attorney, Louisiana Lieutenant Governor, Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court and United States federal judge.-Early life:...		1892	1893	Democratic
21	Hiram R. Lott		1893	1895	Democratic
22	Robert H. Snyder Robert H. Snyder Robert H. Snyder was a Democratic politician from St. Joseph, the parish seat of Tensas Parish in northeastern Louisiana....		1895	1900	Democratic
23	Albert Estopinal Albert Estopinal Albert Estopinal, Sr. , was a sugar cane planter from St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, who served as a Democrat in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature between 1876 and 1900 and in the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st congressional district from 1908 until his...		1900	1903	Democratic
24	H. C. Cage		1903	1904	Democratic
25	Jared Y. Sanders		1904	1908	Democratic
26	Paul M. Lambremont		1908	1911	Democratic
27	Thomas C. Barret		1912	1916	Democratic
28	Fernand Mouton		1916	1920	Democratic
29	Hewitt Bouanchaud		1920	1924	Democratic
30	Delos R. Johnson		1924	1924	Democratic
31	Oramel H. Simpson Oramel H. Simpson Oramel Hinckley Simpson was an American politician from the US state of Louisiana. He became the 39th Governor of Louisiana in 1926, upon the death of his predecessor, Henry L. Fuqua...		1924	1926	Democratic
32	Philip H. Gilbert Philip H. Gilbert -Early years:Philip H. Gilbert was born on October 25, 1870, the son of Pierre J. Gilbert of Louisiana. From his youth up he was a faithful son of the Roman Catholic Church and did much for its support....		1926	1928	Democratic
33	Paul N. Cyr Paul N. Cyr Paul Narcisse Cyr was the elected lieutenant governor in the Huey Pierce Long, Jr., gubernatorial administration who quarreled with the self-designated "Kingfish" throughout most of their tenure...		1928	1931	Democratic
34	Alvin Olin King Alvin Olin King Alvin Olin King was a Louisiana politician allied with the popular Long faction of the state Democratic Party....		1931	1932	Democratic
35	John B. Fournet John B. Fournet John Baptiste Fournet was a Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, lieutenant governor of his state, and associate justice and Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court...		1932	1935	Democratic
36	James A. Noe James A. Noe James Albert Noe, Sr. of Monroe served for three and a half months as the 43rd Governor of Louisiana after the death of Oscar K. Allen on January 28, 1936....		1935	1936	Democratic
37	Earl K. Long		1936	1939	Democratic
38	Coleman Lindsey Coleman Lindsey Isaac Coleman Lindsey, known as Coleman Lindsey , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate, a district judge, and from 1939 to 1940, the lieutenant governor under Governor Earl Kemp Long....		1939	1940	Democratic
39	Marc M. Mouton Marc M. Mouton Marc M. Mouton served as Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1940 until 1944 during the administration of Governor Sam Houston Jones. He graduated from the medical department of Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana....		1940	1944	Democratic
40	J. Emile Verret J. Emile Verret J. Emile Verret was the Democratic lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 1944 to 1948, having served under the first of the two nonconsecutive gubernatorial terms of James Houston "Jimmie" Davis. Verret defeated former Governor Earl Kemp Long in the party's runoff election for the second-ranking...		1944	1948	Democratic
41	William J. Dodd		1948	1952	Democratic
42	Charles E. (Cap) Barham		1952	1956	Democratic
43	Lether Frazar Lether Frazar Lether Edward Frazar was the Democratic lieutenant governor of Louisiana under Governor Earl Kemp Long from 1956-1960, who had earlier, as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Beauregard Parish, authored the state teacher retirement law...		1956	1960	Democratic
44	C. C. "Taddy" Aycock		1960	1972	Democratic
45	James E. Fitzmorris, Jr. Jimmy Fitzmorris James Edward "Jimmy" Fitzmorris, Jr. , is a New Orleans businessman and civic leader who was the Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1972–1980...		1972	1980	Democratic
46	Robert "Bobby" Freeman		1980	1988	Democratic
47	Paul Hardy Paul Hardy Paul Jude Hardy is a Baton Rouge attorney who was the first Republican to have been elected lieutenant governor of Louisiana since Reconstruction...		1988	1992	Republican
48	Melinda Schwegmann Melinda Schwegmann Melinda B. Schwegmann was the lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 1992–1996 – the first woman to hold the position. She made an unsuccessful run for governor of Louisiana in 1995...		1992	1996	Democratic
49	Kathleen Blanco Kathleen Blanco Kathleen Babineaux Blanco was the 54th Governor of Louisiana, having served from January 2004 until January 2008. She was the first woman to be elected to the office of governor of Louisiana....		1996	2004	Democratic
50	Mitch Landrieu Mitch Landrieu Mitchell Joseph "Mitch" Landrieu is the Mayor of New Orleans, former Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, and a member of the Landrieu family. Landrieu is a member of the Democratic Party and a Roman Catholic. He is the son of former New Orleans mayor and Secretary of the United States Department of...		2004	2010	Democratic
51	Scott Angelle Scott Angelle Scott Anthony Angelle is a former lieutenant governor of Louisiana. He was appointed to the position by Governor Bobby Jindal and confirmed by the Louisiana Legislature in 2010, when Mitch Landrieu resigned the lieutenant governorship to become mayor of New Orleans...		2010	2010	Democratic
			2010	2010	Republican
52	Jay Dardenne Jay Dardenne John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. , has been Louisiana's Republican lieutenant governor since November 22, 2010. He won a special election to the position held in conjunction with the regular November 2 general election. At the time, Dardenne was Louisiana secretary of state...		2010		Republican