View source for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas

{{Short description|Second-highest elected office in Arkansas}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox official post
| post                    = Lieutenant Governor
| body                    = Arkansas
| insignia                = Seal of Arkansas.svg
| insigniasize            = 110px
| insigniacaption         = [[Great Seal of Arkansas|State seal]]
| image                   = Leslie Rutledge (25475720912) (1).jpg
| imagesize               = 200px
| incumbent               = [[Leslie Rutledge]]
| incumbentsince          = {{Start date|2023|1|10}}
| style                   = 
| department              = [[Government of Arkansas]]
| residence               = 
| seat                    = [[Arkansas State Capitol|State Capitol]], [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]], [[Arkansas]]
| termlength              = Four years, renewable once
| constituting_instrument = [[Constitution of Arkansas]]
| inaugural               = [[Calvin C. Bliss]]
| formation               = {{start date and age|1864|4|18|p=1|br=1}}
| succession              = [[Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Arkansas|First]]   
| website                 ={{URL|ltgovernor.arkansas.gov}}
}}
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 lines of succession in the United States#Arkansas|gubernatorial line of succession]], assuming the [[governor of Arkansas|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 [[Casting vote|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.

== History == 
The U.S. state of [[Arkansas]] had no office of lieutenant governor under its original constitution.<ref name="eoa-lt" /> Amidst the [[American Civil War]] in 1864, a new constitution was ratified and a pro-[[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] government was installed which included a lieutenant governor to be, like several other state officials, popularly elected to serve four-year terms.<ref name="eoa-lt" /><ref name= cals2>{{cite web| url = https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/arkansas-constitutions-2246/| title = Arkansas Constitutions| date = July 28, 2023| website = Encyclopedia of Arkansas| publisher = Central Arkansas Library System| access-date = July 31, 2023}}</ref> [[Calvin C. Bliss]] was the first person to hold the office. The position was preserved in the new constitution ratified by the state in 1868, but eliminated in the constitution of 1874.<ref name="eoa-lt">{{cite web| url = https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/office-of-lieutenant-governor-5722/| title = Office of Lieutenant Governor| date = July 17, 2023| website = Encyclopedia of Arkansas| publisher = Central Arkansas Library System| access-date = July 30, 2023}}</ref>

In 1914, an amendment to the constitution to reestablish the office of lieutenant governor was subject to a popular referendum.<ref name="eoa-lt" /> While the item received more affirmative than negative votes,<ref name= history>{{cite web| url = https://ltgovernor.arkansas.gov/meet-leslie-rutledge/about-our-office/| title = History of Our Office| publisher = Arkansas Lieutenant Governor| access-date = July 31, 2023}}</ref> the [[Arkansas Supreme Court]] held that only a majority of the votes of all the citizens who had participated in that year's referendums could constitute a passing margin. In 1925, the court reversed its decision, ruling that the office be filled in the state elections occurring in 1926.<ref name="eoa-lt" /> [[Harvey Parnell]] was subsequently elected to the office.<ref name= history/>

Under [[Nathan Green Gordon]]'s 20 year-tenure, the lieutenant governorship assumed great influence in the State Senate, with the officer able to set the body's calendar, assign members to committees, and refer bills to committees. Upon Gordon's succession by Republican [[Maurice Britt]] in 1967, the Democratic-dominated Senate removed much of the office's powers.{{sfn|Blair|Barth|2005|pp=214–215}} The lieutenant governor held office for a term of two years until 1986, when the term was expanded to four years. The constitution was amended in 1992 to provide for term limits.<ref name="eoa-lt" /> From the office's recreation in 1926 until a constitutional amendment ratified in 2016, the lieutenant governor served as acting governor when the governor was traveling out of the state; the amendment allowed the governor to retain their powers while absent.<ref>{{cite news| last = Riddle| first = Brandon| title = Arkansas voters say governors can retain powers, duties when traveling out of state| newspaper = Arkansas Democrat-Gazette| date = November 8, 2016| url = https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/nov/08/arkansas-voters-say-governors-can-retain-powers-du/| access-date = April 16, 2025}}</ref> The first woman to hold the office, [[Leslie Rutledge]], was sworn in on January 10, 2023.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.4029tv.com/article/leslie-rutledge-arkansas-lt-gov/42446950#| title = Leslie Rutledge sworn in as Arkansas' first woman to serve as lieutenant governor| last = Roberts| first = Adam| date = January 10, 2023| website = 40/29 News| publisher = Arkansas Hearst Television| access-date = July 31, 2023}}</ref>

== Powers, duties, and structure ==
The lieutenant governor is one of seven executive constitutional officers in the state of Arkansas.<ref name= earley1>{{cite news| last = Earley| first = Neal| title = Arkansas’ constitutional officers getting 3% raise in salary| newspaper = Arkansas Democrat-Gazette| date = June 17, 2023| url = https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jun/17/arkansas-constitutional-officers-getting-3-raise/| access-date = August 2, 2023}}</ref> The main responsibilities of the lieutenant governor are to serve as the president of the [[Arkansas Senate]] and to succeed to the governorship should it become vacant.<ref name="eoa-lt" /> They are constitutionally restricted to serving a maximum of two terms.{{sfn|Goss|2011|p=249}}

The lieutenant governor keeps an office in the [[Arkansas State Capitol]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/state-capitol/arkansas-constitutional-offices| title = Arkansas Constitutional Offices| publisher = Arkansas Secretary of State| access-date = April 18, 2025}}</ref> They collect an annual salary of $48,105.<ref name= earley1/>

==List of officeholders==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Lieutenant governors of the State of Arkansas
!scope="col" data-sort-type="number"|{{abbr|No.|Number}}
!scope="col" colspan="3"|Lieutenant Governor
!scope="col"|Term in office
!scope="col"|Party
!scope="col"|Election
!scope="colgroup" colspan="2"|[[List of governors of Arkansas|Governor]]{{efn|Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|1
|data-sort-value="Bliss, Calvin"|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp;
|'''[[Calvin C. Bliss]]'''<br>{{small|(1823–1891)}}
|{{dts|April 18, 1864}}<br>&ndash;<br>July 2, 1868<br />{{small|(did not run)}}
|[[Republican Party of Arkansas|Republican]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1864|1864]]
|rowspan="5" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|&nbsp;
|{{sortname|Isaac|Murphy}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|2
|data-sort-value="Johnson, James"|[[File:Colonel James M. Johnson (Colorized).jpg|75px]]
|'''[[James M. Johnson (politician)|James M. Johnson]]'''<br>{{small|(1832–1913)}}
|{{dts|July 2, 1868}}<br>&ndash;<br>March 14, 1871<br />{{small|(resigned)}}{{efn|Clayton resigned from the governorship, having been [[1870 United States Senate election in Arkansas|elected]] to the [[United States Senate]]. He had delayed his resignation to prevent Johnson from succeeding him; party machinations led to Johnson's resignation and acceptance of the office of secretary of state, so that Hadley, as president pro tempore of the senate, could act as governor for the remainder of the term.<ref name="eoa-hadley">{{Cite web |last=Dougan |first=Michael B. |date=September 28, 2022 |title=Ozro Amander Hadley (1826–1915) |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/ozro-amander-hadley-3711/ |access-date=February 3, 2023 |website=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]]}}</ref>}}
|[[Republican Party of Arkansas|Republican]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1868|1868]]
|rowspan="2"|{{sortname|Powell|Clayton}}<br>{{small|(resigned March 17, 1871)}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!rowspan="2" scope="row"|&mdash;
| colspan="4" rowspan="2" style="background:#EEEEEE;" |''Office vacant from March 14, 1871 - January 6, 1873''
|rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|{{small|Office vacated<br>by resignation}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|{{sortname|Ozra Amander|Hadley}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|3
|data-sort-value="Smith, Volney"|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
|'''[[Volney V. Smith]]'''<br>{{small|(1841–1897)}}
|{{dts|January 6, 1873}}<br>&ndash;<br>November 12, 1874<br>{{small|(office abolished)}}
|[[Republican Party of Arkansas|Republican]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1872|1872]]
|{{sortname|Elisha|Baxter}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row" colspan="9"|''Office did not exist from November 12, 1874, to January 11, 1927''
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|4
|data-sort-value="Parnell, Harvey"|[[File:Harvey Parnell.jpg|75px]]
|style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
|'''[[Harvey Parnell]]'''<br>{{small|(1880–1936)}}
|{{dts|January 11, 1927}}<br>&ndash;<br>March 14, 1928<br />{{small|(succeeded to governor)}}
|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1926|1926]]
|rowspan="21" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
|{{sortname|John Ellis|Martineau}}<br>{{small|(resigned March 14, 1928)}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|&mdash;
| colspan="4" style="background:#EEEEEE;" |''Office vacant from March 4, 1928 - January 14, 1929''
|colspan="2" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|{{small|Office vacated<br>by succession to governor}}
|rowspan="3"|{{sortname|Harvey|Parnell}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|5
|data-sort-value="Cazort, Lee"|[[File:W. Lee Cazort.png|75px]]
|rowspan="19" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
|'''[[Lee Cazort]]'''<br>{{small|(1887–1969)}}
|{{dts|January 14, 1929}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 12, 1931<br />{{small|(did not run)}}{{efn|Cazort instead ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor.}}
|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1928|1928]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|6
|data-sort-value="Wilson, Lawrence"|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|'''[[Lawrence Elery Wilson]]'''<br>{{small|(1884–1946)}}
|{{dts|January 12, 1931}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 10, 1933<br />{{small|(lost nomination)}}
|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1930|1930]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|7
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Cazort, Lee"|[[File:W. Lee Cazort.png|75px]]
|rowspan="2"|'''[[Lee Cazort]]'''<br>{{small|(1887–1969)}}
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|January 10, 1933}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 12, 1937<br />{{small|(did not run)}}{{efn|Cazort instead ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor.}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1932#Lieutenant Governor|1932]]
|rowspan="2"|{{sortname|Junius Marion|Futrell}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1934|1934]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="3"|8
|rowspan="3" data-sort-value="Bailey, Robert"|[[File:Robert Bailey of Arkansas.png|75px]]
|rowspan="3"|'''[[Robert B. Bailey]]'''<br>{{small|(1892–1957)}}
|rowspan="3"|{{dts|January 12, 1937}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 12, 1943<br />{{small|(did not run)}}
|rowspan="3"|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1936|1936]]
|rowspan="2"|{{sortname|Carl Edward|Bailey}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1938|1938]]
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1940|1940]]
|rowspan="2"|{{sortname|Homer Martin|Adkins}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|9
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Shaver, James"|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|rowspan="2"|'''[[James L. Shaver]]'''<br>{{small|(1902–1985)}}
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|January 12, 1943}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 14, 1947<br />{{small|(did not run)}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1942|1942]]
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1944|1944]]
|rowspan="2"|{{sortname|Benjamin Travis|Laney}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="10"|10
|rowspan="10" data-sort-value="Gordon, Nathan"|[[File:Gordon, Nathan Green.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan="10"|'''[[Nathan Green Gordon]]'''<br>{{small|(1916–2008)}}
|rowspan="10"|{{dts|January 14, 1947}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 10, 1967<br />{{small|(did not run)}}
|rowspan="10"|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1946|1946]]
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1948|1948]]
|rowspan="2"|{{sortname|Sid|McMath}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1950|1950]]
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1952|1952]]
|{{sortname|Francis|Cherry|dab=governor}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1954|1954]]
|rowspan="6"|{{sortname|Orval|Faubus}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1956|1956]]
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1958|1958]]
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1960|1960]]
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1962|1962]]
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1964|1964]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|11
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Britt, Maurice"|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="2"|'''[[Maurice Britt]]'''<br>{{small|(1919–1995)}}
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|January 10, 1967}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 12, 1971<br />{{small|(did not run)}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Republican Party of Arkansas|Republican]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1966|1966]]
|rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="2"|{{sortname|Winthrop|Rockefeller}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1968|1968]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|12
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Riley, Bob"|[[File:Bob C. Riley (Arkansas governor).jpg|75px]]
|rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="2"|'''[[Bob C. Riley]]'''<br>{{small|(1924–1994)}}
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|January 12, 1971}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 3, 1975<br />{{small|(succeeded to governor)}}{{efn|Riley had not run for re-election, instead running unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor.}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1970|1970]]
|rowspan="7" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="2"|{{sortname|Dale|Bumpers}}<br>{{small|(resigned January 3, 1975)}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1972|1972]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|&mdash;
| colspan="4" style="background:#EEEEEE;" |''Office vacant from January 3–14, 1975''
|colspan="2" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|{{small|Office vacated<br>by succession to governor}}
|{{sortname|Bob C.|Riley}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup "rowspan="2"|13
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Purcell, Joe"|[[File:Joe Purcell (1975).png|75px]]
|rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="2"|'''[[Joe Purcell]]'''<br>{{small|(1923–1987)}}
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|January 14, 1975}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 3, 1979<br />{{small|(succeeded to governor)}}{{efn|Purcell had already won re-election as lieutenant governor.}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1974|1974]]
|rowspan="2"|{{sortname|David|Pryor}}<br>{{small|(resigned January 3, 1979)}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1976|1976]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|&mdash;
| colspan="4" style="background:#EEEEEE;" |''Office vacant from January 3–9, 1979''
|colspan="2" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|{{small|Office vacated<br>by succession to governor}}
|{{sortname|Joe|Purcell}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|13
|data-sort-value="Purcell, Joe"|[[File:Joe Purcell (1975).png|75px]]
|rowspan="6" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
|'''[[Joe Purcell]]'''<br>{{small|(1923–1987)}}
|{{dts|January 9, 1979}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 19, 1981<br />{{small|(did not run)}}
|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1978|1978]]
|{{sortname|Bill|Clinton}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="4"|14
|rowspan="4" data-sort-value="Bryant, Winston"|[[File:Winston Bryant.png|75px]]
|rowspan="4"|'''[[Winston Bryant]]'''<br>{{small|({{abbr|b.|born in}} 1938)}}
|rowspan="4"|{{dts|January 19, 1981}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 15, 1991<br />{{small|(did not run)}}{{efn|Bryant instead ran successfully for [[Arkansas Attorney General|Attorney General of Arkansas]].}}
|rowspan="4"|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1980|1980]]
|style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
|{{sortname|Frank D.|White}}{{efn|Represented the [[Republican Party of Arkansas|Republican Party]].|name=gov-rep}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1982|1982]]
|rowspan="7" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="4"|{{sortname|Bill|Clinton}}<br>{{small|(resigned December 12, 1992)}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1984|1984]]
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1986|1986]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|15
|data-sort-value="Tucker, Jim"|[[File:Jim Guy Tucker.jpg|75px]]
|'''[[Jim Guy Tucker]]'''<br>{{small|(1943–2025)}}
|{{dts|January 15, 1991}}<br>&ndash;<br>December 12, 1992<br />{{small|(succeeded to governor)}}
|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1990|1990]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|&mdash;
| colspan="4" style="background:#EEEEEE;" |''Office vacant from December 12, 1992 - November 19, 1993''
|colspan="2" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|{{small|Office vacated<br>by succession to governor}}
|rowspan="3"|{{sortname|Jim Guy|Tucker}}{{efn|Represented the [[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic Party]].|name=gov-dem}}<br>{{small|(resigned July 15, 1996)}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|16
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Huckabee, Mike"|[[File:Mike Huckabee, August 2002 (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|rowspan="2" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="2"|'''[[Mike Huckabee]]'''<br>{{small|({{abbr|b.|born in}} 1955)}}
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|November 20, 1993}}<br>&ndash;<br>July 15, 1996<br />{{small|(succeeded to governor)}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Republican Party of Arkansas|Republican]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1993|1993]]<br>{{small|(special)}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1994|1994]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|&mdash;
| colspan="4" style="background:#EEEEEE;" |''Office vacant from July 15 - November 19, 1996''
|colspan="2" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|{{small|Office vacated<br>by succession to governor}}
|rowspan="5" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="5"|{{sortname|Mike|Huckabee}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="3"|17
|rowspan="3" data-sort-value="Rockefeller, Winthrop"|[[File:Paige, Huckabee, Rockefeller, and Hutchinson with large check, August 2002 - cropped to Rockefeller.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan="3" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="3"|'''[[Winthrop Paul Rockefeller]]'''<br>{{small|(1948–2006)}}
|rowspan="3"|{{dts|November 19, 1996}}<br>&ndash;<br>July 16, 2006<br />{{small|(died in office)}}
|rowspan="3"|[[Republican Party of Arkansas|Republican]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 1996|1996]]<br>{{small|(special)}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 1998|1998]]
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 2002|2002]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|&mdash;
| colspan="4" style="background:#EEEEEE;" |''Office vacant from July 16, 2006 - January 9, 2007''
|colspan="2" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|{{small|Office vacated<br>by death}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|18
|data-sort-value="Halter, Bill"|[[File:Bill Halter.jpg|75px]]
|style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
|'''[[Bill Halter]]'''<br>{{small|({{abbr|b.|born in}} 1960)}}
|{{dts|January 9, 2007}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 11, 2011<br />{{small|(did not run)}}{{efn|Halter instead [[2010 United States Senate election in Arkansas|ran unsuccessfully]] for the Democratic nomination to the [[United States Senate]].}}
|[[Democratic Party of Arkansas|Democratic]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 2006#Lieutenant Governor|2006]]
|rowspan="3" style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="3"|{{sortname|Mike|Beebe}}{{efn|name=gov-dem}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|19
|data-sort-value="Darr, Mark"|[[File:No image.svg|75px]]
|style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
|'''[[Mark Darr]]'''<br>{{small|({{abbr|b.|born in}} 1973)}}
|{{dts|January 11, 2011}}<br>&ndash;<br>February 1, 2014<br />{{small|(resigned)}}{{efn|Darr resigned; he was under sanction for ethics violations involving illegal use of campaign funds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/mark-darr-resigning-arkansas-102052.html|title=Mark Darr, Arkansas lt. gov., says he'll resign over ethics case|publisher=Politico|access-date=November 27, 2018}}</ref>}}
|[[Republican Party of Arkansas|Republican]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 2010#Lieutenant governor|2010]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|&mdash;
| colspan="4" style="background:#EEEEEE;" |''Office vacant from February 1, 2014 - January 13, 2015''
|colspan="2" style="background:#EEEEEE;"|{{small|Office vacated<br>by resignation}}
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan="2"|20
|rowspan="2" data-sort-value="Griffin, Tim"|[[File:Rep Tim Griffin Official Photo (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|rowspan="3" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="2"|'''[[Tim Griffin]]'''<br>{{small|({{abbr|b.|born in}} 1968)}}
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|January 13, 2015}}<br>&ndash;<br>January 10, 2023<br />{{small|(term-limited)}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Republican Party of Arkansas|Republican]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[Arkansas elections, 2014#Lieutenant Governor|2014]]
|rowspan="3" style="background:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};"|
|rowspan="2"|{{sortname|Asa|Hutchinson}}
|- style="height:2em;"
|[[Arkansas elections, 2018#Lieutenant Governor|2018]]
|- style="height:2em;"
!scope="row"|21
|data-sort-value="Rutledge, Leslie"|[[File:Leslie Rutledge (25475720912) (1).jpg|75px]]
|'''[[Leslie Rutledge]]'''<br>{{small|({{abbr|b.|born in}} 1976)}}
|{{dts|January 10, 2023}}<br>–<br>Incumbent{{efn|Rutledge's first term [[2026 Arkansas lieutenant gubernatorial election|will expire]] January 12, 2027.}}
|[[Republican Party of Arkansas|Republican]]<ref name="eoa-lt" />
|[[2022 Arkansas lieutenant gubernatorial election|2022]]
|{{sortname|Sarah Huckabee|Sanders}}
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist|2}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Works cited ==
* {{cite book| last1 = Blair | first1 = Diane D.| last2 = Barth| first2 = Jay| title = Arkansas Politics and Government| publisher = University of Nebraska Press | edition = second| date = 2005| location = Lincoln| isbn = 0-8032-6198-5}}
* {{cite book| last = Goss| first = Kay Collett| title = The Arkansas State Constitution| publisher = Oxford University Press| date = 2011| location = | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=mexMAgAAQBAJ| isbn = 9780199778966}}

{{Arkansas|expanded}}
{{Lieutenant Governors of Arkansas}}
{{Current U.S. Lieutenant Governors}}
{{Arkansas statewide elected officials}}
{{Lists of lieutenant governors by U.S. state}}

[[Category:Government of Arkansas]]
[[Category:Lists of Arkansas politicians|Lieutenant governors]]