WASHINGTON, July 6 (UPI) -- The position of lieutenant governor can be a good place to run for a state's top job, Stateline.org reports.
The state government Web site says that of the 50 governors now in office, eight are former lieutenant governors. That includes two who succeeded governors who left to take jobs in the Bush administration, and one who succeeded a governor convicted of corruption.
A study by the National Lieutenant Governor's Association found that almost one-quarter of governors in the last 25 years moved up from the No. 2 job.
Lieutenant governors' responsibilities vary widely. In Texas, longtime political writer Molly Ivins said, the lieutenant governor is one of five state officials more powerful than the governor -- but in many states it's a part-time job.
This year, five lieutenant governors are running for governor, including two who are challenging sitting governors. That happens often in those states -- almost half -- where the governor and lieutenant do not run as a team.
Eight states do not have lieutenant governors, although New Jersey has decided it needs one. Twice in the last six years, sitting governors have stepped down and been succeeded by the Senate president, who gets to hold two jobs until the next election.
