When John Fetterman took office as Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor in 2019, the state was considering whether to legalize cannabis for recreational use after legalizing medical use 3 years before. With the governor’s support, Fetterman began a listening tour, visiting all 67 of Pennsylvania’s counties and holding town hall meetings where residents could share their opinions, questions, and concerns on legalization. At the end of each meeting he took an informal poll, asking by a show of hands how many supported legalization and how many supported expunging past convictions for nonviolent cannabis-related crimes (when a criminal conviction is expunged, the record of the conviction is officially and legally sealed so it won’t appear on background checks anymore). After touring the whole state, he assembled his findings into a report, which concluded that a strong majority supported both legalization and expungement. After the report was published, the governor announced he supported legalization. Since then, several counties and cities have voted to decriminalize small amounts of cannabis, and efforts continue to legalize recreational use statewide.

Sources: City & State PA; WHYY 

Term limits: none; terms are four years

Eligibility: to run for Lieutenant Governor, you must be at least 25 years old and a registered Louisiana voter, and must have been a U.S. citizen and Louisiana resident for at least 5 years  

The Lieutenant Governor is chosen every four years in a top-two election by all of Louisiana’s voters, separately from the governor. This means that the governor and lieutenant governor can come from different political parties. Unlike in many other states, in Louisiana the LG doesn’t have a role in the State Senate so they don’t have the power to cast tie-breaking votes. 

Louisiana’s constitution and state laws give the Lieutenant Governor a few other powers and required responsibilities: 

• Commissioner of the Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism
  The LG is an important leader for anyone who works in state parks, entertainment, the arts, hospitality, and many other industries
• Can fill a vacancy on the Board of Pardons
  This important group of officials recommends people to the governor for possible pardons and commutations; if there’s a vacancy, the LG can serve until a replacement can be appointed
• Can serve on any of the various committees, boards and commissions that the governor is a member of
• Other projects and responsibilities assigned by the governor or the state legislature

Sources: the Louisiana Constitution; Office of the Lieutenant Governor 

Term limits: limited to two terms in a row, but can run again after sitting out at least one term; terms are four years

Eligibility: to run for Lieutenant Governor, you must be at least 30 years old, eligible to vote in North Carolina, and have been a U.S. citizen for at least five years and a resident of North Carolina for at least two years before being elected

In North Carolina, the Lieutenant Governor is elected separately from the governor, not on a joint ticket. This means that the two officials can (and often do) come from different political parties. Along with being first in line to the governor’s office if needed, the LG’s other major powers and responsibilities are:

• Serving as Acting Governor when needed
  In North Carolina, whenever the governor leaves the state, the LG serves as Acting Governor until they return. In most other states, this process is not automatic and power has to be formally transferred. There’s been controversy over how much power LGs actually have in this situation, though, and most LGs avoid taking major actions while a governor is traveling. 
• Serving as President of the State Senate
  Leading meetings and making sure the Senate’s rules are followed
• Casting tie-breaking votes in the State Senate 
• Serving on the Council of State, which advises the governor on policy issues
• Serving on education-related boards
  Including the North Carolina Board of Education (which sets policy for the state’s public education system), and the North Carolina Board of Community Colleges
• Other responsibilities, when assigned by the governor or the General Assembly

Sources: the North Carolina Constitution, Article III and Article VI; Office of the North Carolina Lieutenant Governor; the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; WRAL News on the controversy over an LG’s powers as Acting Governor

Term limits: limited to two terms in a row, but can run again after sitting out at least one term; terms are four years

Eligibility: to run for Lieutenant Governor, you must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of Pennsylvania for at least 7 years (unless you were living somewhere else while doing official business for the U.S. or state government)

Pennsylvania elects its Lieutenant Governor a bit differently than most other states. First, candidates run in party primaries, and voters vote in their party’s primary election. Once the primary results are in, the winner of each party’s primary becomes their party’s candidate for lieutenant governor. Then there’s a general election, and each party’s nominees for governor and lieutenant governor are teamed up on a single ‘ticket.’ That means that all the state’s voters cast one vote for both governor and lieutenant governor, and the two officials are always from the same political party. 

Aside from being first in line for the governor’s office, the lieutenant governor’s main powers and responsibilities are:

• Serving as President of the State Senate
  The LG presides over the State Senate whenever it’s in session
• Casting tie-breaking votes in the State Senate
  Tie votes are very rare in Pennsylvania, so this power is almost never used
• Serving as Chair of the Board of Pardons
  This important group of officials decides whether a person should be recommended to the Governor for a pardon or commutation
• Serving as Chair of Pennsylvania’s Emergency Management Council
  Overseeing the state’s civil defense and disaster response programs, and making sure the state is prepared for emergencies 
• Attending state visits and official events on behalf of the governor’s office
• Advocating for other policy issues they care about
  Pennsylvania’s current LG has focused on transit, childcare, and gun violence

Sources: the Pennsylvania Constitution; Office of Lieutenant Governor Austin A. Davis 

Term limits: none; unlike the Governor, the LG is allowed to serve back-to-terms. Terms are four years

Eligibility: to run for Lieutenant Governor, you must be at least 30 years old, and must have been a resident and registered voter in Virginia for at least 5 years 

The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years by all of Virginia’s voters, separately from the governor. This means that the governor and lieutenant governor can (and often do) come from different political parties. In Virginia, the office of lieutenant governor is technically a part-time position, so it’s common for an LG to have another job during their time in office. 

Aside from being first in line to the governor’s office, the lieutenant governor’s main responsibilities are:

• Serving as President of the State Senate
  Leading meetings and making sure the Senate’s rules are followed
• Casting tie-breaking votes in the State Senate
• Acting as the public face for Virginia’s executive branch
  The LG does a lot of state visits and events if the Governor can’t personally attend
• Serving on boards, task forces, and commissions
  The LG doesn’t have a lot of constitutionally-required duties, so most LGs will choose a few policy issues to advocate for; the current LG is focused on tourism, military issues, rural communities, and education

Sources: the Virginia Constitution; Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia