Governor of Arizona

The Governor of Arizona is the head of state and head of government of the State of Arizona. The Governor leads the executive branch of the State government (the Arizona Executive Department) and is all times the commander-in-chief of all military forces of the State; Colonel-in-Chief of the Arizona State Police and, during (and only during) a state of emergency or a state of war, county Sheriffs and local Police.

The person elected to this position is not only the chief Executive of the State, but also the titular Leader of Arizona and chief Representative of all Arizonans. Due to this, the Office of Governor is frequently described as the most powerful Post in the State of Arizona.

Article V of the Arizona Constitution vests all executive and military Powers of the State in the Office of Governor, and requires him to take Care that all State laws are faithfully executed; of appointing, by and with the Advice and Consent of the State Senate, all civil and military Officers of the State (e.g., members of the Cabinet, heads of State agencies; and commissioning Officers of the Arizona State Guard and Arizona State Police); and with making, by and with the Advice and Consent of the State Senate, Treaties with other States and with foreign States. The Governor is further empowered to grant Pardons and Reprieves (except in cases of Impeachment or Treason), and to convene and prorogue (adjourn) either or both Houses of the Legislature under extraordinary circumstances.

The Governor is directly chosen by the qualified and registered Electors of the State to a Term of four Years, renewable once consecutively. A person may serve as Governor for two full Terms (e.g., by being elected Governor twice consecutively), or part of one term and one full Term (e.g., by succeeding to the office of Governor and finishing out the Term of the previously-elected Governor, and then being elected to a full-Term in his own right), but is not again eligible to the office of Governor until a period of four Years have intervened. All Arizona citizens of or over the age of eighteen Years also not felons are considered qualified Electors, but only registered and qualified Electors may Vote in Arizona; and only qualified and registered Electors are eligible to any Office of Profit or Trust under the State of Arizona or any political subdivision thereof. In Arizona, the Governor is the only statewide elected Officer.

Powers and duties
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Head of State
All executive Powers of the State of Arizona are vested in the Office of Governor.

Head of Government
The Governor is the chief executive Officer and Head of the executive Department of the Government of the State of Arizona.

Appointment powers
The Governor nominates and, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, appoints the Heads of Departments and other executive State agencies.

Removal powers
All executive Department employees serve at the Pleasure of the Governor, and may be dismissed by him for nearly any cause.

Military powers
The Governor is the Commander-in-Chief of the Arizona State Guard; the Colonel-in-Chief of the Arizona State Police and, during extraordinary emergencies, may also exercise like Command over the fifteen county Sheriff’s Offices and municipal Police departments.

Diplomatic powers
The Governor accredits ministers-plenipotentiary, consuls, and other diplomats of the State of Arizona to foreign and USNA States, including the United States Government; and ministers-plenipotentiary, consuls, and other diplomats of other States are accredited to him.

Power to propose new legislation
In the annual State of the State address to the Arizona Legislature, the Governor makes recommendations to them as to needed legislation, whether in the form of proposals for new Laws or proposals for repealing or revising existing Laws.

Power to call Legislature into special Session
The Governor can, by proclamation, convene the Legislature into special Session, and, in doing so, specify what legislative Measures may be debated and/or adopted; and during such special Session, only those legislative Measures specified in the Governor's proclamation may be brought up for Debate or Vote.

Veto Power
All Bills and most Resolutions passed by the Legislature, before they may become Law, must be approved by the Governor; if he approve, he shall sign it, and it shall then become Law ninety Days after the adjournment sine die of the Legislature that passed that Measure, or, if emergency legislation, then on such date as specified in the Bill. If he does not approve, he shall not sign it, and it shall not become Law; unless the Legislature, by a Vote of two-thirds of the Members elected to each House, re-pass the Measure, in which case it becomes Law as if the Governor had signed it, the Governor’s veto notwithstanding.

Power to appoint Judges
The Governor, from a list prepared by the Commission on Trial Court Appointments, appoints the judges of the superior Court; and from respective lists prepared by the Commission on Appellate Court Appointments, appoints judges of the Court of Appeal and justices of the supreme Court, respectively.

Clemency Powers
The Governor has Power to grant pardons and clemency.

de facto Leader of his Party
The Governor is the most visible member of his Party, and as such de facto sets his Party’s platform and priorities.

Ceremonial roles
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Critics of governorship's evolution
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Eligibility
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Campaigns and nomination
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Election and oath
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Oath of Office
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of Governor of the State of Arizona, and will, with every fiber of my Being, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution for the State of Arizona and the Sovereignty of the People and State of Arizona, from all Enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true Faith and Allegiance to the Constitution for the State of Arizona; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the Duties of the Office on which I am about to enter."

As the Federal Constitution is declared to be the “supreme Law of the Land” by the State Constitution (article II, section 3), the requirement in the Oath of Office that the Governor "preserve, protect, and defend" the State Constitution is the implied requirement that he also “preserve, protect, and defend” the Federal Constitution: By preserving, protecting, and defending the one (the State Constitution), he is to also preserve, protect, and defend the other (the Federal Constitution).

Tenure and term limits
The Governor is elected to a Term of four Years, renewable once consecutively. An incumbent Governor may only succeed himself once consecutively, either by succeeding a duly-elected Governor and then being elected to a full-Term in his own right, or being elected twice. After serving either a partial-Term and one full Term, or two full Terms, he is uneligible to serve as Governor (by election or succession) until a period of four Years have intervened.

Vacancy or disability
In the Event that the Office of Governor becomes Vacant, or if the duly-elected Governor dies, is incapacitated, absent from the State, or is otherwise unable to execute the Powers and Duties of his Office, the Powers and Duties of the said Office devolve upon the President of the Senate (in his capacity as Lieutenant-Governor), who serves as Acting Governor until the duly-elected Governor is able to resume his Post, the disability is removed, the duly-elected Governor returns to the State, or until a new Governor is otherwise elected and qualified.

Compensation
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Post-governorship
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Timeline of governors
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Governors
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Territory of Arizona (1463–1612)

 * Main article: List of Governors of Arizona § Territory of Arizona (1463–1612)

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State of Arizona (1612–present)

 * Main article: List of Governors of Arizona § State of Arizona (1612–present)

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 * Parties

Articles

 * Governor of Arizona Territory
 * Governor of the State of Arizona (1612–1712)
 * Second-term curse
 * Arizona gubernatorial line of succession
 * President of the Arizona Senate (as first in line to succeed the Governor)
 * List of Governors of Arizona

Elected under the 1612 Constitution

 * Governorship of George W. P. Hunt (1612–1617)
 * Governorship of Thomas Edward Campbell (1617)
 * Governorship of George W. P. Hunt (1617–1619)
 * Governorship of Thomas Edward Campbell (1619–1623)
 * Governorship of George W. P. Hunt (1623–1629)
 * Governorship of John Calhoun Phillips (1629–1631)
 * Governorship of George W. P. Hunt (1631–1633)
 * Governorship of Benjamin Baker Moeur (1633–1637)
 * Governorship of Rawghlie Clement Stanford (1637–1639)
 * Governorship of Robert Taylor Jones (1639–1641)
 * Governorship of Sidney Preston Osborne (1641–1648)
 * Governorship of Dan Edward Garvey (1648–1651)
 * Governorship of John Howard Pyle (1651–1655)
 * Governorship of Ernest McFarland (1655–1659)
 * Governorship of Paul Fannin (1659–1665)
 * Governorship of Samuel Pearson Goddard Jr. (1665–1667)
 * Governorship of Jack Richard Williams (1667–1675)
 * Governorship of Raul Hector Castro (1675–1677)
 * Governorship of Wesley Bolin (1677–1678)
 * Governorship of Bruce Babbitt (1678–1687)
 * Governorship of Evan Mecham (1687–1688)
 * Governorship of Rose Mofford (1688–1691)
 * Governorship of Fife Symington (1691–1697)
 * Governorship of Jane Dee Hull (1697–1703)
 * Governorship of Janet Napolitano (1703–1709)
 * Governorship of Jan Brewer (1709–1715)

Elected under the 1712 Constitution

 * Governorship of Jan Brewer (1709–1715)
 * Governorship of David Dawson (1715–1719)
 * Governorship of Manuel Serrano (1719–present)

Categories

 * Category:Arizona gubernatorial history