List of lieutenant governors of Rhode Island


The current lieutenant governor of Rhode Island is Sabina Matos, who was sworn in on April 14, 2021, after Daniel McKee succeeded to the office of governor. The first lieutenant governor was George Brown.
In Rhode Island, the lieutenant governor and governor of Rhode Island are elected on separate tickets.
Seven lieutenant governors have served during a vacancy in the office of governor under the current 1842 constitution: Francis M. Dimond, William C. Cozzens, Charles D. Kimball, Norman Case, John Pastore, and John S. McKiernan.

Deputy governors of the Colony of Rhode Island">Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations">Colony of Rhode Island

The Royal Charter was suspended from 1686 until 1689.

Deputy and lieutenant governors of the State of [Rhode Island]

ImageNamePartyTerm startTerm endResidence
William BradfordNov. 1775May 1778Bristol
Jabez BowenMay 1778May 1780Providence
William WestMay 1780May 1781Scituate
Jabez BowenMay 1781May 1786Providence
Daniel OwenMay 1786May 1790Glocester
Samuel J. PotterMay 1790Feb. 1799S. Kingstown

The title of the office was changed to Lieutenant Governor in 1798.
ImageNamePartyTerm startTerm endResidenceGovernor served under
George Brown17991800S. KingstownArthur Fenner
Samuel J. Potter18001803S. KingstownArthur Fenner
Paul Mumford18031805NewportArthur Fenner
Isaac Wilbour18061807Little ComptonIsaac Wilbour
Constant Taber18071808NewportJames Fenner
Simeon MartinFederalist18081810NewportJames Fenner
Isaac WilbourDemocratic-Republican18101811Little ComptonJames Fenner
Simeon MartinFederalist18111816NewportWilliam Jones
Jeremiah ThurstonFederalist18161817HopkintonWilliam Jones
Edward WilcoxDemocratic-Republican18171821CharlestownNehemiah R. Knight
Caleb EarleDemocratic-Republican18211824ProvidenceWilliam C. Gibbs
Charles Collins18241833NewportJames Fenner
Lemuel H. Arnold
Jeffrey HazardDemocratic18331835ExeterJohn B. Francis
George EngsWhig18351836NewportJohn B. Francis
Jeffrey HazardDemocratic18361837ExeterJohn B. Francis
Benjamin Babock ThurstonDemocratic18371838HopkintonJohn B. Francis
Joseph ChildsWhig18381839PortsmouthWilliam Sprague III
Byron DimanWhig18401842BristolSamuel Ward King
Nathaniel Bullock18421843BristolSamuel Ward King

Unusual candidacies

During the 2010 elections, the Cool Moose Party of Rhode Island submitted Bob Healey as candidate for lieutenant governor. He ran on the proposition that he would attempt to abolish the office of lieutenant governor itself.