From Stateline.org:

In California, as in several other states, it’s hard to keep in mind that the lieutenant governor’s office is primarily designed to be a sort of insurance policy in case something happens to the governor. Instead, in several states like California, the position recently has been a political liability. The intrigue is even more baffling because many of the most hotly contested fights are in states where the lieutenant governor’s powers are relatively weak.

To be sure, in a few states, the lieutenant governor’s powers rival that of the governor. In others, the lieutenant governor holds dual appointments as agency directors or constitutional officers. But in California, Illinois and Louisiana, states that are now questioning whether to even keep the position, the lieutenant governor’s responsibilities are minor.

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