Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico

Lt. Governor of the State of New Mexico
Seal of New Mexico
Incumbent John Sanchez since January 1, 2011
Term length	Four years
Formation	1912
First holder	Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca
Website	Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico

The Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico is an elected official in the state of New Mexico that ranks just below the Governor of New Mexico. The Lieutenant Governor is the first person in the order of succession of New Mexico's executive branch, thus serving as Governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to illness of the Governor of New Mexico. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four-year term. This position was first filled by Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca on January 6, 1912, the year that New Mexico became a state.

The current Lieutenant Governor is John Sanchez, who was elected in 2010 with Governor Susana Martinez. His term is scheduled to last until 2015.

While governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket in the general election, the offices run separately in primary elections. The last lieutenant governor to succeed the governorship was Tom Bolack, following the resignation of Edwin L. Mechem on November 30, 1962. Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca is the only lieutenant governor to be elected as governor in a later term.

Previously, the New Mexico State Constitution did not allow for the nomination of a replacement for Lieutenant Governor after the Governor's office was succeeded; this is the reason the Governor number is higher than the Lieutenant Governor. Section 16 of Article VI of the New Mexico State Constitution (added on November 4, 2008) gives the Governor the power to nominate a replacement for Lieutenant Governor upon confirmation of the nominee by a majority of the New Mexico State Senate.

List of Lieutenant Governors of New Mexico

Since admission into the Union, New Mexico has had 27 lieutenant governors, two of whom have served non-consecutive terms.^[1]

      Democratic       Republican

#	Lt. Governor	Took office	Left office	Party	Governor(s) served with	Years in office
1	Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca	January 6, 1912	January 1, 1917	Democrat	William C. McDonald	5[note 1]
2	Washington E. Lindsey	January 1, 1917	February 18, 1917	Republican	Ezequiel Cabeza De Baca	1 ^1⁄6[note 2]
vacant		February 18, 1917	January 1, 1919		Washington E. Lindsey
3	Benjamin F. Pankey	January 1, 1919	January 1, 1921	Republican	Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo	2
4	William H. Duckworth	January 1, 1921	January 1, 1923	Republican	Merritt C. Mechem	2
5	José A. Baca	January 1, 1923	May 1924	Democrat	James F. Hinkle	1 ^1⁄3[note 3]
vacant		May 1924	January 1, 1925		James F. Hinkle
6	Edward G. Sargent	January 1, 1925	January 1, 1929	Republican	Arthur T. Hannett	4
					Richard C. Dillon
7	Hugh B. Woodward	January 1, 1929	July 1929	Republican	Richard C. Dillon	^1⁄2[note 4]
vacant		July 1929	January 1, 1931		Richard C. Dillon
8	Andrew W. Hockenhull	January 1, 1931	September 25, 1933	Democrat	Arthur Seligman	2 ^3⁄4[note 5]
vacant		September 25, 1933	January 1, 1935		Andrew W. Hockenhull
9	Louis Cabeza de Baca	January 1, 1935	January 1, 1937	Democrat	Clyde Tingley	2
10	Hiram M. Dow	January 1, 1937	January 1, 1939	Democrat	Clyde Tingley	2
11	James Murray, Sr.	January 1, 1939	January 1, 1941	Democrat	John E. Miles	2
12	Ceferino Quintana	January 1, 1941	January 1, 1943	Democrat	John E. Miles	2
13	James B. Jones	January 1, 1943	January 1, 1947	Democrat	John J. Dempsey	4
14	Joseph Montoya	January 1, 1947	January 1, 1951	Democrat	Thomas J. Mabry	4
15	Tibo J. Chávez	January 1, 1951	January 1, 1955	Democrat	Edwin L. Mechem	4
16	Joseph Montoya	January 1, 1955	April 1957	Democrat	John F. Simms	2 ^1⁄3[note 6]
					Edwin L. Mechem
vacant		April 1957	January 1, 1959		Edwin L. Mechem
17	Ed V. Mead	January 1, 1959	January 1, 1961	Democrat	John Burroughs	2
18	Tom Bolack	January 1, 1961	November 30, 1962	Democrat	Edwin L. Mechem	1 ^5⁄6[note 7]
vacant		November 30, 1962	January 1, 1963		Tom Bolack
19	Mack Easley	January 1, 1963	January 1, 1967	Democrat	Jack M. Campbell	4
20	Elias Lee Francis II	January 1, 1967	January 1, 1971	Republican	David Cargo	4
21	Roberto Mondragón	January 1, 1971	January 1, 1975	Democrat	Bruce King	4
22	Robert E. Ferguson	January 1, 1975	January 1, 1979	Democrat	Jerry Apodaca	4
23	Roberto Mondragón	January 1, 1979	January 1, 1983	Democrat	Bruce King	4
24	Mike Runnels	January 1, 1983	January 1, 1987	Democrat	Toney Anaya	4
25	Jack L. Stahl	January 1, 1987	January 1, 1991	Republican	Garrey Carruthers	4
26	Casey Luna	January 1, 1991	January 1, 1995	Democrat	Bruce King	4
27	Walter D. Bradley	January 1, 1995	January 1, 2003	Republican	Gary Johnson	8
28	Diane D. Denish	January 1, 2003	January 1, 2011	Democrat	Bill Richardson	8[note 8]
29	John A. Sanchez	January 1, 2011	Incumbent	Republican	Susana Martinez

Living former U.S. Lieutenant Governors of New Mexico

As of February 2015, six former U.S. lieutenant governors of New Mexico were alive. The most recent death of a former U.S. lieutenant governor of New Mexico was that of Mike Runnels (served 1983–1987, born 1945) on February 5, 2015.

Lt. Governor	Lt. Gubernatorial term	Date of birth
Robert E. Ferguson	1975–1979	August 5, 1925
Roberto Mondragón	1971–1975 1979–1983	July 27, 1940
Jack L. Stahl	1987–1991	June 28, 1934
Casey Luna	1991–1995	May 26, 1931
Walter D. Bradley	1995–2003	October 30, 1946
Diane D. Denish	2003–2011	March 7, 1949

Notes

1. Since the first state election was in an odd-numbered year (1911), the term lasted five years.
2. Succeeded Governor Ca. de Baca on February 18, 1917 after the Governor's death.
3. Died in office in May 1924.
4. Resigned in July 1929 to accept a U.S. Attorneyship.
5. Succeeded Governor Seligman on September 25, 1933 after the Governor's death.
6. Resigned in April 1957 to serve as U.S. Representative.
7. Succeeded Governor Mechem on November 30, 1962 after the Governor's resignation.
8. First female Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico.

References

1. State of New Mexico (July 2012). Kathryn A. Flynn, ed. 2012 Centennial Blue Book (PDF). Diana J. Duran. Office of the New Mexico Secretary of State. pp. 218–219.