Mississippi’s Executive Branch

An article on the executive office in the Mississippi Constitution of 1832 abolished the office of lieutenant governor and provided that the president of the senate would assume the duties of the governor in case of a vacancy in that office. Because of this, Mississippi actually had four Governors serve within one calendar year: John A. Quitman, who resigned the post on 02/03/1851; John I. Guion, who served from 02/03/1851 to 11/04/1851 (president of the senate and acting governor until the expiration of his term as senator); James Whitfield, who succeeded Guion as president of the senate and acting governor and served from 11/24/1851 to 01/10/1852; and Henry S. Foote, the regularly elected governor who assumed the post on 01/10/1852.

The Mississippi Constitution of 1869 re-established the office of Lieutenant Governor, who reassumed the duties as President of the Senate.