Newly elected Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan has just sent word via press release that he is endorsing a constitutional amendment to limit the tenure of the Lt Gov two two terms. The Amendment is sponsored by freshman State Senator Greg Dolezal, a Republican from Forsyth County.
“The Office of Lt. Governor is no place for academic tenure,” said Duncan. “Individuals elected to this office should focus solely on serving Georgians, and no Lt. Governor should consider this post a permanent home.”
Governor’s in Georgia are limited to two consecutive terms. Lieutenant Governors have a history of serving much longer. Zell Miller served in the position from 1975 to 1991, while Casey Cagle Served from 2007 to 2019. Duncan is Georgia’s twelfth person to hold the position since it was created in 1947. The creation of the position somewhat led to the confusion that resulted in Georgia’s “three Governor’s” controversy.
The Amendment would need to clear both the House and the Senate before the end of next year’s General Assembly, as it did not pass either chamber this year prior to Crossover Day. If approved by two-thirds of both, the question would appear on the November 2020 ballot.
