From Ballotpedia

Tennessee State Executives

Governor • Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State • Attorney General Comptroller • Treasurer Superintendent of Education Agriculture Commissioner Insurance Commissioner Natural Resources Commissioner Labor Commissioner Public Service Commission

The Governor of the State of Tennessee is an elected Constitutional officer, the head of the Executive branch, and the highest state office in Tennessee. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms.

Current officer

The 49th and current governor is Bill Haslam, a Republican elected in 2010.

Authority

The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article IX, the Executive Department.

Under Article III, Section I:

The supreme executive power of this state shall be vested in a governor.

Qualifications

Governors
Current Governors
Gubernatorial Elections
2012 • 2011 • 2010 Lists of candidates
Current Lt. Governors
Lt. Governor Elections
2012 • 2011 • 2010
Breaking news

A candidate for governor must be:

• at least 30 years old
• a citizen of the United States
• a citizen of Tennessee for at least seven years upon his election

Additionally, no member of Congress and no one holding any other state office or any federal office may execute the duties of the office of the Governor.

Elections

Tennessee elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For Tennessee, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the third Saturday in the January following an election. Thus, January 15, 2011 and January 17, 2015 are inaugural days.

In the event of a tie or a contested election, a joint session of the legislature shall cast ballot to choose.

Tennessee is one of only three states, the others being Hawaii and New Jersey, where the Governor is the only statewide elected office.

Vacancies

See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled

Details of vacancies are addressed under Article III, Section 4 and under Article III, Section 12

When the governorship is vacated less than 18 months into a term, the successor only serves until a special election is held at the next general election. More than 18 moths into a term, the successor completes the remainder of the term.

If the elected Governor dies, resigns, or is removed, the first person in the line of succession is the Speaker of the Senate followed by the Speaker of the House. Tennessee does not have a formally established office of the Lieutenant Governor, but the title of Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate.

Duties

The Governor is the head of the executive branch of Tennessee's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces (§ 5). The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the state constitution (§ 10).

The governor is also the keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Tennessee (§ 15).

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

• Granting reprieves and pardons, except in cases on impeachment (§ 6)

• Requiring written information from any officer of an executive department on any aspect of that officer's department or duties (§ 8)

• Convening extraordinary sessions of the legislature, provided she proclaims the purposes and limitations of the special session when she calls it (§ 9)

• Periodically addressing the General Assembly concerning the state of the state and making recommendations for legislation (§ 11)

• Signing and sealing all commissions granted by the state of Tennessee (§ 16)

• Vetoing bills and joint resolutions, subject to a majority override of the state legislature (§ 18)

Compensation

See also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries

The governor's salary is legally fixed and may not be raised or decreased effective during the current term.

As of 2010, the Governor of Tennessee is paid $170,340 a year, the 8th highest gubernatorial salary in America.

Contact information

Governor's Office
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243-0001
Phone: 615.741.2001
Fax: 615.532.9711

See also

• Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam
• Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee
• Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey
• Tennessee Attorney General
• Tennessee Secretary of State

External links

• Office of the Tennessee Governor

References

v • d • e Governors Current Governors Robert Bentley (AL) • Sean Parnell (AL) • Jan Brewer (AZ) • Mike Beebe (AK) • Jerry Brown (CA) • John Hickenlooper (Governor of Colorado) • Dan Malloy (CT) • Jack Markell (DE) • Rick Scott (FL) • Nathan Deal (GA) • Neil Abercrombie (HI) • Butch Otter (ID) • Pat Quinn (IL) • Mitch Daniels (IN) • Terry E. Branstad (IA) • Sam Brownback (KS) • Steve Beshear (KY) • Bobby Jindal (LA) • Paul LePage (ME) • Martin O'Malley (MD) • Deval Patrick (MA) • Rick Snyder (MI) • Mark Dayton (MN) • Jay Nixon (MO) • Phil Bryant (MS) • Brian Schweitzer (MT) • Dave Heineman (NE) • Brian Sandoval (NV) • John Lynch (NH) • Chris Christie (NJ) • Susana Martinez (NM) • Andrew Cuomo (NY) • Beverly Perdue (NC) • Jack Dalrymple (Governor of North Dakota) • John Kasich (OH) • Mary Fallin (OK) • John Kitzhaber (OR) • Tom Corbett (PA) • Lincoln Chafee (RI) • Nikki Haley (SC) • Dennis Daugaard (SD) • Bill Haslam (TN) • Rick Perry (TX) • Gary R. Herbert (UT) • Peter Shumlin (VT) • Bob McDonnell (VA) • Christine Gregoire (WA) • Earl Ray Tomblin (WV) • Scott Walker (WI) • Matt Mead (WY) Gubernatorial Elections 2012 overview • 2011 overview • 2010 overview • 2010 candidates • 2010 race ratings • 2010 race predictions • 2010 results Features States with gubernatorial term limits • Election of lieutenant governors • How gubernatorial vacancies are filled • States with gubernatorial recall provisions • Gubernatorial impeachment procedures • Comparison of gubernatorial salaries • Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries • Residences of the American governors

v • d • e State executive offices Offices Governor • Lt. Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Schools • Insurance Commissioner • Controller • Agriculture Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Services Commissioner Elections 2012 • 2011 (Projected outcomes)• 2010 Reports State executive official reports • Projected outcomes, 2011 Features News • Chart of state executive officers • Term limits • Compensation

	v • d • e State of Tennessee Nashville (capital)
Ballot Measures	List of Tennessee ballot measures | Local measures | School bond issues | Ballot measure laws | History of I&R | History of direct democracy | Campaign Finance Requirements | Recall process |
Government	Tennessee State Constitution | House of Representatives | Senate | District Attorney General | Joint Legislative Services Committee |
State executive officers	Governor | Attorney General | Secretary of State | Comptroller | Treasurer | Commissioner of Education | Commissioner of Insurance| Commissioner of Agriculture | Commissioner of Environment & Conservation | Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development | Chairman of Regulatory Authority |
Judiciary	Tennessee Supreme Court | Court of Appeals | Circuit Court | Chancery Court | Probate Court | Criminal Court | Judicial nomination process | Judicial news | Judicial activist organizations |
Transparency Topics	Open Records Act | Transparency Checklist | Government corruption reports | Transparency Legislation | Open Records procedures | Transparency Advocates | Transparency blogs | State budget | Taxpayer-funded lobbying associations |
Divisions	State | List of Counties | List of Cities | List of Towns | List of School Districts | Evaluation of county websites | Evaluation of city websites | Evaluation of township websites | Evaluation of school district websites |