Policy Analysis | April 2008
Methods of Selection for Leadership Positions in State Legislatures
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