Lieutenant governor is a government official in the United States and Canada. In most U.S. states, the lieutenant governor ranks second to the governor. The lieutenant governor serves as governor if the governor dies, resigns, is impeached, or is unable to carry out the duties of the office. Usually, the official is elected at the same time as the governor and for the same term.
In many states, the lieutenant governor presides over the state senate. In this position, the lieutenant governor’s powers resemble those of the Speaker in the lower house of the state legislature.
In Canada, each province has a lieutenant governor. The official is appointed by the governor general in council of Canada and represents the United Kingdom’s head of state in the province. The governor general in council is the governor general of Canada acting with the advice and consent of the Cabinet. The position of the lieutenant governor, like that of the governor general, is largely ceremonial.
