Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana

Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana
Incumbent Billy Nungesser since January 11, 2016
Appointer	Popular election
Term length	Four years
Inaugural holder	Trasimond Landry
Formation	1846
Succession	1st

The Office of Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana (French: Lieutenant-Gouverneur de la Louisiane) is the second highest state office in Louisiana. The current lieutenant governor is Billy Nungesser, a Republican.

Paul J. Hardy, who served from 1988 to 1992, was the first Republican in the position after the Reconstruction Era.

The office was established 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 State Senate. A number of state senate presidents succeeded governors before the 1845 Constitution was adopted, including Henry S. Thibodaux, Armand Beauvais and Jacques Dupre.

The lieutenant governor presided over the Louisiana Senate from 1845 until the adoption of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974. Today, the lieutenant governor exercises powers delegated to him or her by the governor as provided by law. She or 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 is made an ex officio member of each committee, board and commission on which the governor serves. () Additionally, the lieutenant governor serves as commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

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