Surprise: Arizona Voters Will Elect a Lieutenant Governor for the First Time in 114 Years

A new office reshapes Arizona's executive branch

For 114 years, Arizona governed without a lieutenant governor. That changes this November.

For the first time since statehood in 1912, Arizona voters will cast ballots for a full executive ticket. Governor and lieutenant governor will run together, just as president and vice president do at the federal level.

The shift follows voter approval of Proposition 131 in November 2022, when 55 percent of Arizonans backed a constitutional amendment creating the office. The measure was sponsored by then-State Senator Mesnard through Senate Concurrent Resolution 1024, with companion legislation Senate Bill 1255 establishing the statutory framework. Governor Doug Ducey signed SB 1255 into law on July 6, 2022.

Running mates must be named by September 4

Each gubernatorial candidate must name a lieutenant governor running mate no later than 60 days before the November general election. That deadline falls on September 4, 2026.

The chosen name must be submitted to the Secretary of State. A vote for a governor nominee constitutes a vote for the entire ticket.

This means the running mate announcements will become a central part of the 2026 Arizona gubernatorial race. Candidates who fail to pick a partner by the deadline cannot appear on the ballot as a complete ticket.

Line of succession changes

The new office replaces the Secretary of State as first in the line of gubernatorial succession. If the governor becomes unable to serve, the lieutenant governor succeeds to the office.

If the lieutenant governor's office becomes vacant, the governor appoints a replacement subject to legislative approval. If both offices are vacant at the same time, succession falls to the Secretary of State, then the Attorney General, then the State Treasurer, then the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

"The prior arrangement, in which the Secretary of State stood first in line regardless of party, had at times produced tensions when the two offices were held by officials of different political backgrounds, a dynamic Proposition 131 was expressly designed to resolve."

The joint ticket system ensures the successor shares the same political platform as the elected governor.

Duties beyond succession

Under SB 1255, the governor must appoint the lieutenant governor to serve as chief of staff, director of the Arizona Department of Administration, or to fill another position the governor is authorized to appoint.

This gives the lieutenant governor a defined role within the executive branch rather than leaving the office without formal responsibilities.

Arizona joins the national majority

With this change, Arizona will join 45 other states that already have a lieutenant governor. The national total will reach 46 by 2027.

Before Proposition 131, Arizona was one of only five states without a lieutenant governor, alongside Wyoming, Maine, New Hampshire, and Oregon.

The July 21 primary election will determine which gubernatorial candidates advance to the general election. After the primary, the running mate selections will draw significant attention from voters and political observers alike.

For Surprise voters and residents across the state, the November ballot will look different than it has for more than a century. The first lieutenant governor of Arizona will be chosen on November 3, 2026.