Why One Political Office Is So Mired in Scandals
In his candid new memoir, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania expresses a notable disdain for his role in public office, particularly his past position as lieutenant governor, which he describes as “the easiest job in all of America.” This sentiment resonates in light of a troubling trend of scandals involving recent lieutenant governors across the United States. Fetterman’s critique highlights the minimal mandated duties of the role, suggesting that the lack of responsibility may lead to a dangerous idle state for those in power. This has been evidenced by various controversies, including the ongoing investigation into Indiana’s lieutenant governor, Micah Beckwith, who faces allegations of payroll fraud and the distribution of a deepfake pornographic video involving a state legislator’s wife. Beckwith, a pastor, is also embroiled in a church sex scandal, though he denies any wrongdoing.
The article further explores the precarious nature of lieutenant governorships through recent examples, such as the failed campaign of Virginia’s John Reid, who faced backlash over alleged connections to a pornographic blog and accusations of racial slurs. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, former lieutenant governor Mark Robinson lost his gubernatorial bid after reports surfaced of his alleged online accounts that included controversial statements. These incidents underscore the challenges and sometimes scandalous behavior associated with a position that, while intended to ensure governmental continuity, often lacks clear duties and oversight. As some states consider the necessity of the role, the article raises questions about whether lieutenant governors should exist at all, especially when they can become embroiled in such controversies. The discussion is further enriched by insights from current and former lieutenant governors, highlighting the diverse ways individuals navigate the responsibilities—or lack thereof—of this often-overlooked office.
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In his new memoir, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania shows little love for his current job, but he’s even more dismissive of his previous gig: serving as lieutenant governor. It was,
he writes
, “the easiest job in all of America, with few mandated duties.” Yet despite the minimal requirements—or perhaps because of them—the nation’s lieutenant governorships have seemed to produce an inordinate number of recent scandals. Power corrupts, but idle hands may be even more dangerous.
Micah Beckwith
, the lieutenant governor of Indiana, is currently being investigated by a grand jury. The probe focuses on payroll fraud allegations as well as claims that a Beckwith staffer distributed a deepfake porn video depicting the wife of a state legislator. (The lieutenant governor has denied any wrongdoing.) Beckwith is also a pastor; the church where he works is in the middle of
a serious sex scandal
, though he is not accused of misconduct there. He also
reportedly received a written reprimand
from state-senate leadership for his social-media posts and for wearing AI glasses on the senate floor.
In Virginia, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor,
John Reid
, lost his race this month after a campaign tarred by the discovery of alleged links to a pornographic blog. Reid, who is openly gay, denied that the blog was his and insinuated that attacks on him were homophobic. More problematic, and harder to dismiss, were the
reported
racial slurs and Nazi fetishism involved.
Don’t confuse Reid with
Mark Robinson
, the former lieutenant governor in next-door North Carolina, who lost his bid for the governorship after the discovery of
his
alleged online accounts
, in which he reportedly called himself a “black Nazi” and expressed his appreciation for transgender porn despite his anti-woke political stances. (Robinson denied that the accounts were his.) Nor should you confuse Reid with Justin Fairfax, a Democrat who served as Virginia’s lieutenant governor and whose career was all but ended by sexual-assault
allegations
against him in 2019. (He has denied wrongdoing.)
Lieutenant governors exist mostly to step in should something happen to the governor. Denny Heck, the lieutenant governor of Washington State, told me he keeps a succession guide in his desk drawer. “I take it out once in a while, and I look at it—a go bag, actually a file folder. What happens? What do you do in what sequence?” he said. “Even though it doesn’t happen ordinarily, it happens frequently enough that I think it’s really valuable not to have to reinvent that every time it occurs.”
A clean line of succession is a good thing, but the problem is that many lieutenant governors don’t have much to do besides wait around for the worst-case scenario. Some are assigned to sit on or chair various boards (which
doesn’t mean they show up
). Louisiana’s Billy Nungesser serves—with obvious relish—as a sort of state-tourism czar. One common task is to preside over the state Senate. But given the risk of putting ambitious politicians in a high-profile job with lots of free time, the conservative operative
Eli Lehrer
has argued that states could save money by eliminating them altogether; even staid
Governing
magazine
snarkily wrote that “Lieutenant Governor Is (Sometimes) a Real Job.” The candidates vying for this office also don’t always get the same scrutiny as candidates for governor, which might account for some of the scandals.
Having a lieutenant governor isn’t the only way to establish a line of succession, and only 45 states have them, though that number will be 46 once Arizona elects its
first lieutenant governor
next year, on a joint ticket with the governor. The state added the position in part because the old plan—elevating the secretary of state—
twice shifted
the political party in charge. New Jersey created a post because its old system, elevating the state-senate president, produced a new governor not elected by voters statewide.
Electing governors and lieutenant governors separately can create challenges. Former North Carolina
Governor Roy Cooper
, a Democrat, reportedly bowed out of consideration to run for vice president in 2024 in part because he didn’t want campaign travel to create chances for Robinson to serve as acting governor. But even when one party holds both seats, tensions can result. Current California Governor
Gavin Newsom
, a Democrat, hated serving as No. 2 to Governor Jerry Brown, who refused to give him any duties. In May 2021, GOP Governor Brad Little left Idaho on official business and Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin
issued an executive order
banning local mask mandates. Little returned and rescinded the order; McGeachin unsuccessfully challenged him for governor a year later.
Some lieutenant governors find more positive ways to use the role. Heck, who previously had a long career as both a state legislator and U.S. representative, told me he finds presiding over the state Senate especially rewarding. “My experience in Congress—I was frankly discouraged at the decline in civil discourse, and there’s no better position to set a tone of respectful discourse than when you’re the presiding officer,” he said.
Even so, Heck, 73, is a bit of an accidental lieutenant governor. He had already decided to retire from the U.S. House and ran for the job only when the incumbent lieutenant governor stepped down. Cyrus Habib, a fellow Democrat, was a 30-something with a promising career whom some viewed as
a future governor
. Instead, he decided to quit politics and become a Jesuit priest. Perhaps it says something about the lieutenant governorship that an ambitious rising star would decide that forgoing public life entirely and pursuing
vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience
was more appealing.
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