Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
| Hawaii Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $183,804 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $1,824,848 |
| Term limits: | 2 consecutive terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Article V, the Executive Department |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Sylvia Luke | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other Hawaii Executive Offices | |
| Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Attorney General•Director of Finance•Auditor•Superintendent of Education•Agriculture Commissioner•Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs•Chairperson of Land and Natural Resources•Director of Labor and Industrial Relations•Public Utilities Commission | |
The Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawaii is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the Governor of Hawaii. The lieutenant governor also acts as the secretary of state.[1] The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive, four-year terms.[2][3]
Current officeholder
- See also: Current Lieutenant Governors
The 15th and current lieutenant governor of Hawaii is Sylvia Luke (D). She was first elected on November 8, 2022, and sworn in on December 5, 2022.
Authority
The Hawaii Constitution establishes the office of the lieutenant governor in Article V, the Executive Department.
Hawaii Constitution, Article V, Section II'
|
There shall be a lieutenant governor who shall have the same qualifications as the governor... |
Qualifications
Per Article V, Section 2 of the Hawaii Constitution (quoted above), the lieutenant governor must have the same qualifications as the governor. Thus, a lieutenant governor is:
- required to be at least 30 years old,
- required to have been a resident of Hawaii for five consecutive years previous to election,
- barred from other professions or paid positions during the term.
Elections
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Hawaii elects lieutenant governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not presidential election years (e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030). Legally, the inauguration is always held at noon on the first Monday in December following an election.
2022
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Sylvia Luke defeated Seaula Tupai in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sylvia Luke (D) | 63.2 | 261,025 |
 | Seaula Tupai (R)  | 36.8 | 152,237 | |
| Total votes: 413,262 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii on August 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sylvia Luke | 36.2 | 87,797 |
 | Ikaika Anderson | 27.8 | 67,462 | |
 | Keith Amemiya | 23.6 | 57,199 | |
 | Sherry Menor-McNamara | 10.5 | 25,349 | |
 | Sam Puletasi | 1.0 | 2,328 | |
| Daniel Cunningham | 0.9 | 2,215 | ||
| Total votes: 242,350 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Sergio Alcubilla (D)
- Jill Tokuda (D)
- Ron Menor (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Seaula Tupai defeated Rob Burns and Tae Kim in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii on August 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Seaula Tupai | 53.6 | 35,798 |
| Rob Burns | 34.6 | 23,121 | ||
| Tae Kim | 11.8 | 7,911 | ||
| Total votes: 66,830 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
No candidate advanced from the primary.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| Charles Keoho | 100.0 | 1,030 | ||
Vote totals may be incomplete for this race. | ||||
| Total votes: 1,030 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Aloha Aina Party primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Shaena Dela Cruz Hoohuli (Aloha Aina Party)
2018
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Joshua Green defeated Marissa Kerns, Renee Ing, and Paul Robotti in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Joshua Green (D) | 62.7 | 244,934 |
 | Marissa Kerns (R) | 33.7 | 131,719 | |
| Renee Ing (G) | 2.6 | 10,123 | ||
 | Paul Robotti (Nonpartisan) | 1.0 | 4,067 | |
| Total votes: 390,843 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Joshua Green defeated Jill Tokuda, Bernard Carvalho, Kim Coco Iwamoto, and William Espero in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii on August 11, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Joshua Green | 31.4 | 74,845 |
 | Jill Tokuda | 28.6 | 68,124 | |
| Bernard Carvalho | 19.2 | 45,825 | ||
 | Kim Coco Iwamoto | 14.4 | 34,243 | |
 | William Espero | 6.5 | 15,463 | |
| Total votes: 238,500 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Marissa Kerns defeated Steve Lipscomb and Jeremy Low in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii on August 11, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Marissa Kerns | 35.4 | 9,758 |
| Steve Lipscomb | 34.7 | 9,543 | ||
| Jeremy Low | 29.9 | 8,232 | ||
| Total votes: 27,533 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Paul Robotti defeated Ernest Magaoay in the primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii on August 11, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Paul Robotti | 50.6 | 536 |
| Ernest Magaoay | 49.4 | 523 | ||
| Total votes: 1,059 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Green primary election
Green primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
Renee Ing advanced from the Green primary for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii on August 11, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Renee Ing | 100.0 | 444 | |
| Total votes: 444 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  David Ige/Shan Tsutsui |
49.5% | 181,065 | |
| Republican | Duke Aiona/Elwin Ahu | 37.1% | 135,742 | |
| Independent | Mufi Hannemann/Les Chang | 11.7% | 42,925 | |
| Libertarian | Jeff Davis/Cindy Marlin | 1.7% | 6,393 | |
| Total Votes | 366,125 | |||
| Election results via Hawaii Office of Elections | ||||
Full history
To view the electoral history dating back to 2002 for the office of Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, click [show] to expand the section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2010 On November 2, 2010, Neil Abercrombie (D) and Brian Schatz (D) won election as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii. They defeated the Aiona/Finnegan (R), Cunningham/Spence (Free Energy) and Pollard/Kama (nonpartisan) ticket(s) in the general election.
2006 On November 7, 2006, Linda Lingle (R) and Duke Aiona (R) won re-election as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii. They defeated the Iwase/Solomon (D), Brewer/Ing (G) and Daniel/Zhao (L) ticket(s) in the general election.
2002 On November 5, 2002, Linda Lingle (R) and Duke Aiona (R) won election as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii. They defeated the Irono/Matsunaga (D), Hill/Stone (NL), Ryan/Vaughan (L), Brewer/Ing (N) and Cunningham/Powell (F) ticket(s) in the general election.
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Term limits
A 1978 amendment to Article V, Section 2 of the Hawaii Constitution made the lieutenant governor limited to serving two consecutive terms in the office. After two terms, the officer must wait one term before running again. Hawaii voters approved the constitutional amendment restricting the lieutenant governor two consecutive terms in the general election on November 7, 1978, and the rule went into effect at noon on the first Monday in December, 1978.
Hawaii Constitution, Article V, Section 2:
| There shall be a lieutenant governor who shall have the same qualifications as the governor. The lieutenant governor shall be elected at the same time, for the same term and in the same manner as the governor; provided that the votes cast in the general election for the nominee for governor shall be deemed cast for the nominee for lieutenant governor of the same political party. No person shall be elected to the office of lieutenant governor for more than two consecutive full terms. The lieutenant governor shall perform such duties as may be provided by law. |
Vacancies
If the office of lieutenant governor becomes vacant, the president of the Hawaii State Senate assumes the office. If the president is unable to do so, the speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives is next in line. After the speaker, the line of succession is as follows: attorney general, director of finance, comptroller, director of taxation and the director of human resources development.[4]
Hawaii Constitution, Article V, Section 4
|
...When the office of lieutenant governor is vacant, or in the event of the absence of the lieutenant governor from the State, or the lieutenant governor's inability to exercise and discharge the powers and duties of the lieutenant governor's office, such powers and duties shall devolve upon such officers in such order of succession as may be provided by law. In the event of the impeachment of the governor or of the lieutenant governor, the governor or the lieutenant governor shall not exercise the powers of the applicable office until acquitted. |
Hawaii Revised Statutes, 26-2
|
When the office of lieutenant governor is vacant by reason of the lieutenant governor's becoming governor, or the lieutenant governor's failure to qualify, or the lieutenant governor's removal from office, death, resignation, or otherwise, the powers and duties of the office of lieutenant governor shall devolve upon the president of the senate; or, if there is none or upon the president's failure to resign promptly from all legislative offices held by the president, then upon the speaker of the house of representatives; or if there is none or upon the speaker's failure to resign promptly from all legislative offices held by the speaker, then upon the attorney general, the director of finance, the comptroller, the director of taxation, and the director of human resources development in the order named; provided that any officer upon whom the powers and duties of the office of lieutenant governor devolve may decline the powers and duties without the officer's resignation from the office by virtue of the holding of which the officer qualifies to act as lieutenant governor, in which event the powers and duties will devolve upon the next officer listed in the order of succession. |
Duties
The duties of the lieutenant governor are established by the Hawaii Constitution and expanded in Chapter 26 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.[2] Article V, Section 4 provides that the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor upon the absence of the governor from the state, or if the governor becomes disabled from duty. The article further states the lieutenant governor has such other responsibilities and duties as the governor shall assign.
The Hawaii Revised Statutes address the lieutenant governor's role as the Hawaii Secretary of State. The lieutenant governor provides authentication services for documents used by state residents overseas, such as birth and marriage certificates, issues orders granting legal name changes, and oversees the recording of all legislative and gubernatorial acts.[2][3]
Divisions
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
State budget
- See also: Hawaii state budget and finances
The Office of Hawaii Lieutenant Governor's operating budget for Fiscal Year 2025 was $1,824,848.[5]
Compensation
The salaries of elected and appointed executives in Hawaii are determined by the Hawaii Commission on Salaries, which was established by constitutional amendment in 2006. Passage of this amendment by the public added the following language to Article XVI of the state constitution:
Article XVI, Section 3.5 of the Hawaii Constitution
| Text of Section 3.5:
There shall be a commission on salaries as provided by law, which shall review and recommend salaries for the justices and judges of all state courts, members of the legislature, department heads or executive officers of the executive departments and the deputies or assistants to department heads of the executive departments as provided by law, excluding the University of Hawaii and the department of education. The commission shall also review and make recommendations for the salary of the administrative director of the State or equivalent position and the salary of the governor and the lieutenant governor. Any salary established pursuant to this section shall not be decreased during a term of office, unless by general law applying to all salaried officers of the State. Not later than the fortieth legislative day of the 2007 regular legislative session and every six years thereafter, the commission shall submit to the legislature its recommendations and then dissolve. The recommended salaries submitted shall become effective as provided in the recommendation, unless the legislature disapproves the entire recommendation as a whole by adoption of a concurrent resolution prior to adjournment sine die of the legislative session in which the recommendation is submitted; provided that any change in salary which becomes effective shall not apply to the legislature to which the recommendation for the change in salary was submitted. |
The commission consists of seven members selected by the governor (two seats), the President of the Hawaii State Senate (two seats), Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives (two seats) and the Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court (one seat). Commissioners meet every six years to evaluate salaries for executive, judicial, and legislative officials. Their recommendations go into effect unless the state legislature votes to reject the entirety of the commission's final report. To view the March 2019 recommendation to the legislature, click here.[6]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $183,804, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $162,552, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2021
In 2021, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $162,552, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $165,552 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $154,812 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $151,776 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $148,800 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, the lieutenant governor’s salary was increased to $145,884 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2015
In 2015, the lieutenant governor’s salary was increased to $143,028 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $140,220 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2013
In 2013, the lieutenant governor was paid a salary of $114,420, the 15th highest lieutenant gubernatorial salary in America.[17]
2012
In 2012, the lieutenant governor was paid a salary of $114,420, the 15th highest lieutenant gubernatorial salary in America.[18]
2010
In 2010, the lieutenant governor was paid a salary of $114,420, the 14th highest lieutenant gubernatorial salary in America.[19]
Historical officeholders
There have been 15 Hawaii lieutenant governors since 1959, including 13 Democrats and two Republicans.[20]
| List of Former Officeholders from 1959-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | James Kealoha | 1959-1962 |  Republican
| ||
| 2 | William S. Richardson | 1962-1966 |  Democratic
| ||
| 3 | Thomas P. | 1966-1970 | Democratic
| ||
| 4 | George Ariyoshi | 1970-1973 | Democratic
| ||
| 5 | Nelson Doi | 1974-1978 | Democratic
| ||
| 6 | Jean Sadako King | 1978-1982 | Democratic
| ||
| 7 | John D. Waihee III | 1982-1986 | Democratic
| ||
| 8 | Benjamin J. Cayetano | 1986-1994 | Democratic
| ||
| 9 | Mazie Hirono | 1994-2002 | Democratic
| ||
| 10 | James "Duke" Aiona, Jr. | 2002-2010 | Republican
| ||
| 11 | Brian E. Schatz | 2011-2012 | Democratic
| ||
| 12 | Shan Tsutsui | 2012-2018 | Democratic
| ||
| 13 | Doug Chin | 2018 | Democratic
| ||
| 14 | Joshua Green | 2018-2022 | Democratic
| ||
| 15 | Sylvia Luke | 2022 - Present | Democratic
| ||
Recent news
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Contact information
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
State Capitol
Honolulu, Hawai`i 96813
Telephone: (808) 586-0255
Fax: (808) 586-0231
See also
| Hawaii | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Lt. Governor of Hawaii Shan Tsutsui, "Apostilles and Certifications," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Hawaii Revised Statutes: Part 1, "§26-1 Office of the lieutenant governor," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, "About," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Hawaii Revised Statutes, "26-2," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Department of Budget and Finance, "The FB 2023-25 Executive Biennium Budget," accessed January 16, 2025
- ↑ Hawaii Department of Human Resources Development, "Commission on Salaries," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "2013 Book of the States - Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed October 24, 2013
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "2010 Book of the States - Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed October 24, 2013
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "2010 Book of the States - Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed October 24, 2013
- ↑ Hawaiian Encyclopedia, State Executive Officials of the State of Hawai‘i accessed August 8, 2013
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