Understanding Arizona’s Propositions: Prop 111

By Kristin Borns
Senior Policy Analyst
Morrison Institute for Public Policy

Proposition 111 – Arizona’s Lieutenant Governor i

Proposition 111 would establish the office of lieutenant governor beginning in 2015 by asking voters
to rename the office of secretary of state to lieutenant governor and have this new position assume
all the duties currently performed by the secretary of state. This includes not only serving as the
state’s election official, but also serving as the first in line to step into the governor’s office in the
event of death or resignation. This proposition was referred to voters by the Legislature.

The proposition also requires candidates for lieutenant governor and governor to run separately
during the primary, as the secretary of state and governor do now. However, successful primary
candidates for both offices will be joined on a single-party ticket, with one vote filling both positions.

Arizonans have voted on a lieutenant governor before. In 1994, Proposition 100 sought to establish
the office of lieutenant governor separate from the secretary of state. Proposition 100 differed in
notable ways from this year’s Proposition 111. There were no defined duties for the office, and the
proposition would have required the candidates for governor and lieutenant governor to run as a
joint ticket in both the primary and the general election. The proposition went down in defeat, with
65% of voters rejecting it.ii

Yes on Prop 111?

Arizona is only one of five states without a lieutenant governor.iii Our state has seen four governors
leave office before the end of their elected term since
1977 – due to death, impeachment, forced resignation Arizona Secretaries of State
following indictment or resignation for advancement. Elevated to Governor’s Office

This year’s ballot measure emerged from a process • Wesley Bolin (1977)
established by the O’Connor House, where community • Bruce Babbitt* (1978)
leaders, legislators and interested parties came together • Rose Mofford (1988)
to look at government for Arizona’s second century. This • Jane Dee Hull (1997)
measure, along with Proposition 112, which seeks to • Janice Brewer (2009)
change the deadline for filing initiative petitions, *Attorney General, who is third in succession order
received bipartisan support in the Legislature.

No Arizona governor has completed two full terms since 1987. In two of those transitions the
replacement governor was of the same party as the predecessor. However, in two memorable
transitions – following Governor Evan Mecham’s impeachment and Governor Janet Napolitano’s
confirmation as Secretary of Homeland Security – the governor’s office switched parties when the
secretary of state was sworn into the executive role.

Continuity and transparency are two of the primary reasons Proposition 111 advocates cite in
support of the measure. Voters may not realize the secretary of state is the first in line for
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succession. Or, if they are aware, still treat the two positions as completely separate and unrelated,
and do not vote for candidates with consideration to continuity of executive leadership.

When the secretary of state is from a different party than an elected governor, voters can feel the
platform they supported when electing a governor is ignored. Further, the transition itself for a
secretary of state can be unwieldy if he or she has not been a part of the executive office.

A lieutenant governor serving as the second in succession could address such concerns – the belief
being that voters will consider the individual first in line to ascend to the governor’s office based on
that candidate’s qualifications to possibly become governor. Current Governor Jan Brewer, who
replaced Napolitano mid-term, previously supported changing the name of the secretary of state’s
office to lieutenant governor in order to make the line of succession clear to voters. iv She has
submitted a statement in support of Proposition 111 in this year’s publicity pamphlet.v

Proponents also point out that the qualities that would propel a successful candidate solely to the
secretary of state’s office do not necessarily translate to the skills required to assume leadership as
the state’s top executive.

About half of U.S. states elect the lieutenant governor and governor as a team. However, how those
individuals become part of the single ticket can vary by state. For example, Alaska elects both
positions in separate primaries and then joins them in a single ticket, mirroring Proposition 111. In
18 other states, the two run separately, which could result in the lieutenant governor and governor
coming from different partiesvi, which fails to address concerns about continuity of leadership.

Many states do not prescribe specific duties for the lieutenant governor position. However,
Proposition 111 would differ in this way, assigning the specific constitutional duties now performed
by the secretary of state – including elections – to the new position of lieutenant governor.

No on Prop 111?
For those states that do not assign specific duties to the lieutenant governor, the executive has the
ability to assign duties as needed and most effectively integrate the lieutenant governor into the
overall administration. An Arizona lieutenant governor would not have that flexibility. While a
governor may opt to have a lieutenant governor more engaged in day-to-day issues, the lower office
still would have a full slate of established constitution responsibilities.

Additionally, some of the benefits of a lieutenant governor discussed by advocates, such as

expanding the lieutenant governor’s knowledge of the executive branch and providing a lieutenant
governor with a broader statewide perspective, are a “maybe” at best, based on how Proposition
111 is worded. By requiring the lieutenant governor to assume all the responsibilities of the
secretary of state, it is not a given the lieutenant governor would have expanded experience and
understanding within the governor’s office.

Proposition 111 proposes the lieutenant governor be elected with the governor, and also serve as
the state’s chief election officer. This setup is similar to Hawaii and Utah. However, critics of the
proposition raise concerns that having a member of the executive office, who has a vested interest in
one candidate’s success, is a concern for ensuring independent elections.vii

Another concern of special note in Arizona is how potentially viable independent candidates would
be successful in running for executive office under this same-party structure. Currently, more than
940,000 of Arizona’s 3 million registered voters are registered as independents.viii Arizona requires
independent voters to identify themselves as “Party Not Designated” when registering. As a result, it
appears that an independent candidate for either lieutenant governor or governor may not be able to
join a linked ticket for election, as they are not part of a recognized party. This is a gray area of

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question and it is unclear if and how this issue would constitutionally be addressed. But opponents
of Proposition 111 worry Arizona’s new election structure could result in alienating nearly one-third
of registered voters.

The Bottom Line

A “yes” vote would amend the Arizona Constitution and rename the office of secretary of state to that
of lieutenant governor, beginning in 2015. The lieutenant governor would perform all the duties
currently assigned to the secretary of state and would run as an individual in the primary election,
but be joined in a single ticket with the same party candidate for governor in the general election.

i Senate Concurrent Resolution 1013. Located at www.azleg.gov. Also, Legislative Council Analysis of SCR
1013.
ii Secretary of State’s Office.
iii Data from research completed by Dr. James Svara, Professor; Director, Center for Urban Innovation, Arizona

State University. In Tennessee and West Virginia, the Speaker of the House holds the title of Lt. Governor, but
is elected as the Speaker.
iv http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1204cns-lieutenant1204-ON.html
v Secretary of State’s Office.
vi Data from research completed by Dr. James Svara, Professor; Director, Center for Urban Innovation, Arizona

State University.
vii Ibid.
viii Secretary of State’s Office.

 
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