Governor (United States)

In the United States, the title governor refers to the chief executive of each state or insular territory, not directly subordinate to the federal authorities, but the political and ceremonial head of the state. A state governor in the United States is said to serve a gubernatorial administration.State constitutions usually call for a state governor to run for office, and serve once elected, together with a lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the gubernatorial office, if vacated by the removal from office, death, or resignation of the previous governor. Lieutenant governors also serve as unofficial acting state governors in case the incumbent governors are disabled, and they often serve as presiding officers of the upper houses of state legislatures. But in such cases, they cannot participate in political debates, and they have no vote whenever these houses are not equally divided. (See ""Relationship with lieutenant governor,"" below.)