List of lieutenant governors of Rhode Island

The current lieutenant governor of Rhode Island is Sabina Matos, who was sworn in on April 14, 2021, after Daniel McKee succeeded to the office of governor. The first lieutenant governor was George Brown.

Seal of the lieutenant governor

In Rhode Island, the lieutenant governor and governor of Rhode Island are elected on separate tickets.

Seven lieutenant governors have served during a vacancy in the office of governor under the current 1842 constitution: Francis M. Dimond (1853), William C. Cozzens (1863), Charles D. Kimball (1901), Norman Case (1928), John Pastore (1945), and John S. McKiernan (1950).[1]

Deputy governors of the Colony of Rhode Island

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John Clarke, Deputy Governor 1669–70, 1671–72

The Royal Charter was suspended from 1686 until 1689.

William Bradford, last deputy governor of the colony and first deputy governor of the state

Deputy and lieutenant governors of the State of Rhode Island

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ImageNamePartyTerm startTerm endResidence
William BradfordNov. 1775May 1778Bristol
Jabez BowenMay 1778May 1780Providence
William WestMay 1780May 1781Scituate
Jabez BowenMay 1781May 1786Providence
Daniel OwenMay 1786May 1790Glocester
Samuel J. PotterMay 1790Feb. 1799S. Kingstown

The title of the office was changed to Lieutenant Governor in 1798.

ImageNamePartyTerm startTerm endResidenceGovernor(s) served under
George Brown17991800S. KingstownArthur Fenner
Samuel J. Potter18001803S. KingstownArthur Fenner
Paul Mumford18031805NewportArthur Fenner
Isaac Wilbour18061807Little ComptonIsaac Wilbour
Constant Taber18071808NewportJames Fenner
Simeon MartinFederalist18081810NewportJames Fenner
Isaac WilbourDemocratic-Republican18101811Little ComptonJames Fenner
Simeon MartinFederalist18111816NewportWilliam Jones
Jeremiah ThurstonFederalist18161817HopkintonWilliam Jones
Edward WilcoxDemocratic-Republican18171821CharlestownNehemiah R. Knight
Caleb EarleDemocratic-Republican18211824ProvidenceWilliam C. Gibbs
Charles Collins18241833NewportJames Fenner
Lemuel H. Arnold
Jeffrey HazardDemocratic18331835ExeterJohn B. Francis
George EngsWhig18351836NewportJohn B. Francis
Jeffrey HazardDemocratic18361837ExeterJohn B. Francis
Benjamin Babock ThurstonDemocratic18371838HopkintonJohn B. Francis
Joseph ChildsWhig18381839PortsmouthWilliam Sprague III
Byron DimanWhig18401842BristolSamuel Ward King
Nathaniel Bullock18421843BristolSamuel Ward King

Lieutenant governors under the constitution, 1843–present

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No.ImageNamePartyTerm startTerm endGovernor(s) served underResidence
1 Byron DimanLaw & Order18431846James Fenner
Charles Jackson
Bristol
2 Elisha HarrisWhig18461847Byron DimanCoventry
3Edward W. LawtonWhig18471849Elisha HarrisNewport
4Thomas WhippleWhig18491851Henry B. AnthonyCoventry
5 William Beach LawrenceDemocratic18511852Philip AllenNewport
6 Samuel G. ArnoldWhig18521853Philip AllenProvidence
7 Francis M. DimondDemocratic18531854himselfBristol
8John J. ReynoldsWhig18541855William W. HoppinN. Kingstown
9Anderson C. RoseAmerican18551856William W. HoppinNew Shoreham
10 Nicholas Brown IIIAmerican18561857William W. HoppinWarwick
11 Thomas G. TurnerRepublican18571859Elisha DyerWarren
12Isaac SaundersAmerican Republican18591860Thomas G. TurnerScituate
13 J. Russell BullockDemocratic18601861William Sprague IVBristol
14 Samuel G. ArnoldDemocratic & Constitutional Unionist18611862William Sprague IVProvidence
15 Seth PadelfordRepublican18631865William C. Cozzens
James Y. Smith
Providence
16Duncan Pell18651866James Y. SmithNewport
17 William GreeneRepublican18661868Ambrose Everett BurnsideWarwick
18Pardon StevensRepublican18681872Ambrose Everett Burnside
Seth Padelford
Newport
19Charles CutlerDemocratic18721873Seth PadelfordWarren
20 Charles C. Van ZandtRepublican18731875Henry HowardNewport
21 Henry Tillinghast SissonRepublican18751877Henry LippittLittle Compton
22Albert HowardRepublican18771880Charles C. Van ZandtE. Providence
23Henry FayRepublican18801883Alfred H. LittlefieldNewport
24Oscar RathbunRepublican18831885Augustus O. BournWoonsocket
25 Lucius B. DarlingRepublican18851887George P. WetmorePawtucket
26Samuel R. HoneyDemocratic18871888John W. DavisNewport
27Enos LaphamRepublican18881889Royal C. TaftWarwick
28 Daniel LittlefieldRepublican18891890Herbert W. LaddCentral Falls
29William T. C. WardwellDemocratic18901891John W. DavisBristol
30 Henry A. StearnsRepublican18911892Herbert W. LaddLincoln
31 Melville BullRepublican18921894D. Russell BrownMiddletown
32 Edwin AllenRepublican18941897D. Russell Brown
Charles W. Lippitt
Hopkinton
33 Aram J. PothierRepublican18971898Elisha Dyer, Jr.Woonsocket
34 William GregoryRepublican18981900Elisha Dyer, Jr.N. Kingstown
35 Charles D. KimballRepublican19001901William GregoryProvidence
36George L. ShepleyRepublican19021903Charles D. KimballProvidence
37Adelard ArchambaultDemocratic19031904Lucius F. C. GarvinWoonsocket
38 George H. UtterRepublican19041905Lucius F. C. GarvinWesterly
39Frederick H. JacksonRepublican19051908George H. UtterProvidence
40Ralph WatrousRepublican19081909James H. HigginsWarwick
41 Arthur W. DennisRepublican19091910Aram J. PothierProvidence
42Zenas Work BlissRepublican19101913Aram J. PothierCranston
43Rosewell BurchardRepublican19131915Aram J. PothierL. Compton
44 Emery J. San SouciRepublican19151921R. Livingston BeeckmanProvidence
45Harold GrossRepublican19211923Emery J. San SouciProvidence
46 Felix A. ToupinDemocratic19231925William S. FlynnLincoln
47Nathaniel W. SmithRepublican19251927Aram J. PothierS. Kingstown
48 Norman S. CaseRepublican19271928Aram J. PothierProvidence
49 James G. ConnollyRepublican19291933Norman S. CasePawtucket
50 Robert E. QuinnDemocratic19331937Theodore Francis GreenW. Warwick
51Raymond E. JordanDemocratic19371939Robert E. QuinnPawtucket
52James O. McManusRepublican19391941William Henry Vanderbilt IIIW. Warwick
53Louis W. CappelliDemocratic19411944J. Howard McGrathProvidence
54 John O. PastoreDemocratic19451945J. Howard McGrathProvidence
55 John S. McKiernanDemocratic19451957John O. Pastore
himself
Dennis J. Roberts
Providence
56Armand H. CoteDemocratic19571959Dennis J. RobertsPawtucket
57 John A. Notte, Jr.Democratic19591961Christopher Del SestoProvidence
58 Edward P. GalloglyDemocratic19611965John A. Notte, Jr.
John Chafee
Providence
59Giovanni FolcarelliDemocratic19651967John ChafeeScituate
60Joseph O'Donnell, Jr.Republican19671969John ChafeeN. Smithfield
61 J. Joseph GarrahyDemocratic19691977Frank Licht
Philip W. Noel
Providence
62Thomas R. DiLuglioDemocratic19771985J. Joseph GarrahyJohnston
63Richard A. LichtDemocratic19851989Edward D. DiPreteProvidence
64Roger N. BeginDemocratic19891993Edward D. DiPrete
Bruce Sundlun
Woonsocket
65 Robert WeygandDemocratic19931997Bruce Sundlun
Lincoln C. Almond
E. Providence
66Bernard JackvonyRepublican19971999Lincoln C. AlmondE. Greenwich
67Charles J. FogartyDemocratic19992007Lincoln C. Almond
Donald Carcieri
Glocester
68 Elizabeth H. RobertsDemocratic20072015Donald Carcieri
Lincoln Chafee
Cranston
69 Daniel McKeeDemocratic20152021Gina RaimondoCumberland
70 Sabina MatosDemocratic2021presentDaniel McKeeProvidence

Unusual candidacies

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During the 2010 elections, the Cool Moose Party of Rhode Island submitted Bob Healey as candidate for lieutenant governor. He ran on the proposition that he would attempt to abolish the office of lieutenant governor itself.[2]

References

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  1. ^ McGowan, Dan (January 11, 2021). "How many times have there been a gubernatorial vacancy in Rhode Island?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  2. ^ "Votehealey.com - Robert J. Healey Jr. For Rhode Island Governor". Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2010.