Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1975 NO. 4 >

The legislature may not by statute (as opposed to a constitutional amendment) require that any candidate filing for the office of governor must file and run jointly with a candidate for the office of lieutenant governor from the same political party, with the names of both candidates to be grouped together on the ballot and a vote for one to constitute a vote for both; and this would be so even if the legislature were to abolish the office of lieutenant governor as a constitutional office and reconstitute it as an office created by statute.

AGLO 1974 NO. 94 >

Procedures to be followed in filling vacancies in the offices of governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state under Article III, § 10 and Article III, § 13 of the state Constitution.

AGO 1953 NO. 469 >

The lieutenant governor of the state of Washington has no legal authority to act as presiding officer of the state senate nor to cast the deciding vote in the state senate during the period in which he is serving as acting governor.