Policy Analysis | April 2008

Methods of Selection for Leadership Positions in State Legislatures

Mikko Lindberg

House

State Speaker Speaker pro tem Majority leader Assistant majority leader Majority floor leader Assistant majority floor leader Majority whip Majority caucus chair Minority leader Assistant minority leader Minority floor leader Assistant minority floor leader Minority whip Minority caucus chair
Alabama EH EH EC ... ... ... ... ... EC ... ... ... ... ...
Arkansas EH AS EC ... ... ... EC ... EC ... ... ... EC ...
Florida EH EH AS AS AS AS AS AS EC EC AL AL AL AL
Georgia EH EH EC ... ... ... EC EC EC ... ... ... EC EC
Kentucky (f) EH EH ... ... EC ... EC EC ... ... EC ... EC EC
Louisiana EH EH ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Maryland EH EH (i) AS (j) AS (j) (j) AS AS (k) ES (l) ... ... ... ES (l) (k)
Mississippi EH EH ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Missouri EH EH ... ... EC EC EC EC ... ... EC EC EC EC
North Carolina EH EH EC ... ... ... EC EC EC ... ... ... EC EC
Oklahoma EH EH AS AS AS AS AS AS EC EC EC EC EC EC
South Carolina EH EH EC ... ... ... ... ... EC ... ... ... ... ...
Tennessee EH EH EC EC EC ... EC EC EC EC EC EC EC EC
Texas EH AS ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Virginia (t) EH ... EC (m) ... (u) ... EC EC ... ... ... ... AL EC
West Virginia EH AS AS AS ... ... AS AS EC ... ... ... ... ...

Key
AL - Appointed by party leader.
AS - Appointed by the speaker.
EC - Elected by party caucus.
EH - Elected or Confirmed by all members of the House.
... - Position does not exist or is not selected on a regular basis.
(f) In each chamber, the membership elects Chief Clerk; Assistant Clerk; Enrolling Clerk; Sergeant at Arms; Doorkeeper; Janitor; Cloakroom Keeper; and Pages.
(i) There is also a deputy speaker pro tem.
(j) Majority leader also serves as majority floor leader. Official title of assistant majority leader is deputy majority leader. There are also an assistant majority whip; chief deputy majority whips, and deputy majority whips.
(k) Speaker and minority leader are also caucus chairs.
(l) Minority leader also serves as the minority floor leader. There are also an assistant minority leader, a chief deputy minority whip, an assistant minority whip, and several deputy minority whips.
(m) Majority leader also serves as majority floor leader; minority leader also serves as minority floor leader.
(t) The majority caucus also has a secretary, who is appointed by the speaker; the minority caucus has two vice-chairs, one vice-chair/treasurer, and an interim sergeant at arms.
(u) Selected by the minority leader with the approval of the Speaker.

Senate

State President President pro tem Majority leader Assistant majority leader Majority floor leader Assistant majority floor leader Majority whip Majority caucus chair Minority leader Assistant minority leader Minority floor leader Assistant minority floor leader Minority whip Minority caucus chair
Alabama (a) ES AT ... (b) ... ... ... EC ... (b) ... ... ...
Arkansas (a) ES EC ... ... EC ... EC ... ... ... EC ...
Florida EC/ES AP AP ... AP or AL AP or AL AP or AL AP or AL EC AL AL AL AL AL
Georgia (a) ES EC ... ... ... EC EC EC ... ... ... EC EC
Kentucky (g) ES ES ... ... EC ... EC EC ... ... EC ... EC ...
Louisiana ES ES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Maryland ES ES AP (l) AP (l) (l) (l) AP or AL ... EC (m) ... (m) ... EC ...
Mississippi (a) ES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Missouri (a) ES ... ... EC EC EC EC EC ... ... ... ... EC
North Carolina (a) ES EC ... ... ... EC EC EC ... ... ... EC EC
Oklahoma (a) ES EC EC EC EC EC EC EC EC EC EC EC EC
South Carolina (a) ES EC ... ... ... ... ... EC ... ... ... ... ...
Tennessee ES AP EC ... EC EC ... EC EC ... EC ... ... EC
Texas (a) ES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Virginia (a) ES EC (y) ... EC (y) ... ... EC EC ... EC ... ... EC
West Virginia ES AP AP ... ... ... AP ... EC ... ... ... AL ...

Key
AL - Appointed by party leader.
AP - Appointed by president.
AT - Appointed by president pro tempore.
EC - Elected by party caucus.
ES - Elected of confirmed by all member of the Senate.
... - Position does not exist or is not selected on a regular basis.
(a) Lieutenant governor is president of the Senate by virtue of the office.
(b) Majority leader also serves as majority floor leader. Minority leader also serves as minority floor leader.
(g) In each chamber, the membership elects Chief Clerk; Assistant Clerk; Enrolling Clerk; Sergeant at Arms; Doorkeeper; Janitor; Cloakroom Keeper; and Pages.
(l) Majority leader also serves as majority floor leader; deputy majority leader is official title and serves as assistant majority floor leader. There is also an assistant deputy majority leader; there is also a deputy majority whip and assistant deupty majority whips; minority leader also serves as minority floor leader.
(m) Minority leader also serves as minority floor leader.
(y) Minority party in Senate elects caucus officers (vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer). The majority leader is also chair of the caucus. The majority floor leader is also vice-chair of the caucus.

Source: CSG Book of the States, 2007