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 and of the Arizona State Police, and (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, Judges, heads of State agencies; and commissioning officers of the Arizona Defense Force 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 elected by the Electors of Arizona (Arizona citizens eighteen years and older also not felons) 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 Electors, but only registered Electors may vote in elections in Arizona; and only 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
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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 Forces and 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 new Laws or 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, specifies 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 legislative measure, or, if emergency legislation, then on such date as specified in the Bill. If he doesn't 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 of 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 nominates and, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, appoints the Judges of the supreme Court, court of Appeal, and superior Court.

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.

Lists relating to Arizona governorship
List of Governors of Arizona

Categories

 * Category:Arizona gubernatorial history

Articles

 * Executive Office of the Governor of Arizona
 * Imperial governorship
 * The Imperial governorship
 * Imperiled governorship
 * Governor of the Province of Arizona
 * Second-term curse
 * Arizona gubernatorial line of succession
 * President of the Arizona Senate (as first in line to succeed the Governor)