Lieutenant Governor of Kansas


The Lieutenant Governor of Kansas is the second-ranking member of the executive branch of Kansas state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the office of governor if the office becomes vacant, and also serves as acting governor if the governor is incapacitated or absent from the state.

Constitutional requirements

The Constitution of Kansas provides that the Lieutenant Governor must satisfy the same constitutional qualifications as the Governor – that is, none.

Powers and duties

The Lieutenant Governor of Kansas, similar to the Vice President of the United States, the main function of the Lieutenant Governor lies in the executive branch as the immediate successor to the Governorship in the event of a vacancy. In case of impeachment of the Governor, or of his death, failure to qualify, resignation, the Governorship, with its compensation and responsibilities, shall devolve upon the Lieutenant Governor for the residue of the term. In the event of the Governor's absences from the State, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the office, the Lieutenant Governor shall become the "Acting Governor" until the Governor returns to the state or the disability is removed.

Office holders

Kansas Lieutenant Governors

Lt. GovernorTermParty
Joseph Pomeroy Root1861–1863Republican
Thomas A. Osborn1863–1865Republican
James McGrew1865–1867Republican
Nehemiah Green1867–1868Republican
Charles Vernon Eskridge1869–1871Republican
Peter Percival Elder1871–1873Republican
Elias S. Stover1873–1875Republican
Melville J. Salter1875–1877Republican
Lyman U. Humphrey1877–1881Republican
David Wesley Finney1881–1885Republican
Alexander P. Riddle1885–1889Republican
Andrew Jackson Felt1889–1893Republican
Percy Daniels1893–1895Populist
James Armstrong Troutman1895–1897Republican
Alexander Miller Harvey1897–1899Populist
Harry E. Richter1899–1903Republican
David John Hanna1903–1907Republican
William James Fitzgerald1907–1911Republican
Richard Joseph Hopkins1911–1913Republican
Sheffield Ingalls1913–1915Republican
William Yoast Morgan1915–1919Republican
Charles Solomon Huffman1919–1923Republican
Ben Sanford Paulen1923–1925Republican
De Lanson Alson Newton Chase1925–1929Republican
Jacob W. Graybill1929–1933Republican
Charles W. Thompson1933–1937Republican
William M. Lindsay1937–1939Democratic
Carl E. Friend1939–1943Republican
Jess C. Denious1943–1947Republican
Frank L. Hagaman1947–1950Republican
Fred Hall1951–1955Republican
John McCuish1955–1957Republican
Joseph W. Henkle Sr.1957–1961Democratic
Harold H. Chase1961–1965Republican
John Crutcher1965–1969Republican
James H. DeCoursey Jr.1969–1971Democratic
Reynolds Shultz1971–1973Republican
Dave Owen1973–1975Republican
Shelby Smith1975–1979Republican
Paul Dugan1979–1983Democratic
Thomas Docking1983–1987Democratic
Jack D. Walker1987–1991Republican
Jim Francisco1991–1995Democratic
Sheila Frahm1995–1996Republican
Gary Sherrer1996–2003Republican
John E. Moore2003–2007Democratic
Mark Parkinson2007–2009Democratic
Troy Findley2009–2011Democratic
Jeff Colyer2011–2018Republican
Tracey Mann2018–2019Republican
Lynn Rogers2019–presentDemocratic

Living former Lieutenant Governors of Kansas

, ten former lieutenant governors of Kansas are alive. The most recent lieutenant governor to die was Jim Francisco, who served from 1991 to 1995, on September 1, 2018.
Lt. GovernorLt. Gubernatorial termDate of birth
Dave Owen1973–1975
Shelby Smith1975–1979
Paul Dugan1979–1983
Sheila Frahm1995–1996
Gary Sherrer1996–2003
John E. Moore2003–2007
Mark Parkinson2007–2009
Troy Findley2009–2011
Jeff Colyer2011–2018
Tracey Mann2018–20191976/77