Back Liste der Vizegouverneure von Arkansas German Lieutenant-gouverneur de l'Arkansas French アーカンソー州副知事 Japanese Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas SIMPLE Lista över viceguvernörer i Arkansas Swedish
| Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas | |
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| Government of Arkansas | |
| Seat | State Capitol, Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Arkansas |
| Inaugural holder | Calvin C. Bliss |
| Formation | April 18, 1864 |
| Website | ltgovernor |
The lieutenant governor of Arkansas is the second-highest constitutional and elected office in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The lieutenant governor is the first in the gubernatorial line of succession, serving as acting governor of Arkansas when the governor is out of state and assuming the governorship in cases of the governor's impeachment, removal from office, death or inability to discharge the office's duties. The lieutenant governor also serves as president of the Arkansas Senate, with a tie-breaking vote. The lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor.
The position of Lieutenant governor was created by the Sixth Amendment to the Arkansas Constitution in 1914, but was not filled until 1927. The Amendment was approved by the electorate in 1914, with returns showing 45,567 in favor and 45,206 opposed. The Speaker of the House declared the measure lost because it had not received a majority of the highest total vote, which was 135,517. In 1925, it was discovered that the Initiative and Referendum of 1910 had amended this majority requirement so that only a majority of those voting on a specific question was required. So, in 1926, the 1914 initiative was declared to be valid and Harvey Parnell was elected Arkansas' first lieutenant governor.
Two recent incumbents, Winthrop Paul Rockefeller and Mike Huckabee, began their respective tenures in the midst of regular term periods, due to the elevation of their predecessors to the governorship. Jim Guy Tucker succeeded Bill Clinton as governor in December 1992, upon Clinton's resignation days before assuming his office as President of the United States, creating the need for a special election to fill the lieutenant governor's office. When Tucker was convicted of conspiracy and mail fraud charges in 1996, Huckabee succeeded him as governor, paving the way for the November 1996 special election of Rockefeller as lieutenant governor.
The current lieutenant governor is Leslie Rutledge, since January 10, 2023.