Commentary: Changing Politics Revives Interest in Lt. Governor’s Post

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Even as the 2014 race for lieutenant governor got a little more crowded last week, Arkansas lawmakers set about leaving the office vacant the rest of the year.

Practically no one will miss having that office around.

The candidates who want the job will argue to the contrary, but few lieutenant governors have made much difference as lieutenant governor. There are notable exceptions, most of whom were prepping for a gubernatorial run.

The office does provide a high-profile perch for politicians with other ambitions. The most recent examples were Democrat Jim Guy Tucker and Republican Mike Huckabee, each of whom advanced to the governor’s office.

Tucker became governor when then-Gov. Bill Clinton resigned after winning the presidency. Huckabee won a special election to fill Tucker’s place as lieutenant governor, then replaced him as governor when Tucker was convicted of federal criminal charges and resigned, albeit reluctantly.

Obviously, the lieutenant governor’s office served a real purpose in those situations; but eliminating the constitutional office would simply mean there would be a different line of succession.

Today, in the absence of a lieutenant governor, if for some reason Gov. Mike Beebe could not continue in office, the president pro tem of the state Senate would get the job until the people could elect a new governor.

Most lieutenant governors never get to be governor, except for short times when the governor is out of state. Otherwise, they preside over the state Senate when it is in session. Rarely, if ever, they can break a tie in the 35-member Senate.

Perhaps the best argument for having a lieutenant governor is it provides a person elected by voters across the state to be the governor-in-waiting. The president pro tem is a senator elected by one district’s voters, then elevated to the leadership role by his Senate colleagues.

But how carefully do the people choose a lieutenant governor?

When Arkansans elected Mark Darr, they picked him primarily for the “R” attached to his name. He was a relatively unknown Republican businessman from Springdale with no political or governmental experience.

Had fate plucked Darr out of the lieutenant governor’s office and made him governor, could he have done the job?

Remember, Darr resigned Feb. 1 after acknowledging violations of state ethics laws that demonstrated poor handling of relatively small fiscal matters in his office and his campaign. A governor must manage a multi-billion-dollar state budget.

Maybe voters will remember this latest experience when they get to choose the next lieutenant governor.

That chance will apparently come in November’s general election.

State lawmakers cleared the way last week to allow Gov. Beebe not to call an election to fill Darr’s vacant post. Super majorities of both houses voted to permit consideration of the necessary legislation in the ongoing session that is supposed to be limited to fiscal matters.

Their reasons include the shortness of time before a general election and the impracticality of holding — and financing — a special election to name someone to complete a few months of a term.

Then there are the political considerations.

A special election race would distract from the upcoming or ongoing primary and general election campaigns, sapping time and money and focus.

Plus, whoever won the lieutenant governor’s office would have a leg up on the other candidates seeking the office in the general election. That might be good for the individual but not so good for his or her party.

Certainly, some Republicans worried that a special election might favor Democrat John Burkhalter, who is the only Democrat running for the office.

Republicans also have a strategy to elect another slate of Republicans to state office, as they did four years ago. The lieutenant governor’s office is part of the plan.

Last week, U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Little Rock, who declined to seek re-election, said he’ll run for lieutenant governor. Meanwhile, state Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, dropped out of the race and state Rep. Debra Hobbs, R-Rogers, dropped in. She had been a Republican candidate for governor.

Another state representative, Andy Mayberry, R-Hensley, is in it, too; but Griffin figures to be the favorite to take on Burkhalter in November.

For the record, Democrats are also developing a slate and a strategy for November. They have no more interest in a distracting special election than the Republicans. So, there will be none and no lieutenant governor until 2015.

BRENDA BLAGG IS A FREELANCE COLUMNIST AND LONGTIME JOURNALIST IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.