MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Doug Jones and Phillip Ensler, Alabama’s Democratic nominees for governor and lieutenant governor, will seek a constitutional amendment to move the lieutenant governor role into the executive branch if elected, the pair announced on Wednesday.
Alabama is one of 17 states that elects a lieutenant governor separately from the state’s chief executive, which Jones and Ensler argue minimizes the second-in-command’s impact.
Neither Jones, the former U.S. senator, nor Ensler, a current state representative from Montgomery, provided specifics about the constitutional amendment they would introduce, saying they would iron out the details with state legislators later on. Any amendments to the Alabama Constitution must begin in the State House, meaning allies in the Legislature would have to introduce the amendment on the pair’s behalf.
“He’ll have a seat at the table, and more importantly, a voice at the table,” Jones said of Ensler. “It will not be double dipping, so to speak, at all. He would not be a head of an agency. I do think that there are certain ways under the Constitution you can do things to make it a little bit more of an official role, but it’s not one that would be an official role for compensation. That’s the key in this.”
The amendment wouldn’t appear on the ballot until the 2028 election, they said.
Though they will appear separately on the ballot, Jones and Ensler have been running together, attending town halls and campaign events in lockstep. The two Democrats say the amendment, which voters would have to approve at the ballot box, would allow the lieutenant governor to do more and help pass the governor’s legislative agenda.
“The lieutenant governor doesn’t need to just sit there and enjoy receptions with lobbyists and all the other perks of the office,” Ensler said. “The lieutenant governor really can get to work in helping carry out things that are going to help people in Alabama because I have that track record, and we thought it would be a natural fit to work together in this way.”
Apart from standing in wait in case something happens to the governor, Alabama’s lieutenant governor is primarily tasked with presiding over the Alabama Senate. The office is also tasked with making appointments to various boards and commissions.
Some lieutenant governors have sought to do more with the office. For instance, current Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth started a small business advisory commission to help companies cope with COVID-19 challenges. He also chairs the Alabama Military Stability Commission, which has produced several bills over the last two terms.
Much of the power once held by the state’s number two executive officer has been shifted to the Senate’s president pro tempore. This shift started more than two decades ago when Democrats still ruled the Legislature, but even last session, the Republican Senate passed new rules to further limit the authority of the lieutenant governor in the Legislature.
Jones said he’s watched over the years as the lieutenant governor’s role has been diminished to a “perfunctory office.” He said he envisions gubernatorial candidates selecting their lieutenants like how presidential candidates do.
“There’s a camaraderie there,” Jones said. “There’s a way to work together there that doesn’t exist. I think it makes the executive branch of state government in Alabama stronger. I believe it helps with the legislative agenda from the administration. I have thought about this for a long time, and it was only after winning the primary that I finally approached it with Phil to make sure.”
Jones said he would introduce the amendment even if Ensler does not win. The change would eliminate the possibility of having a party split between Alabama’s top two officeholders, he said.
“I think government works better when you’ve got an executive branch of government that is working together, and you don’t have an executive branch of government that’s got one officeholder that’s got one foot in the legislative branch with another agenda,” Jones said.
Jones faces U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville and Ensler is up against former Alabama Republican Party Chair John Wahl in the general election on Nov. 3. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 19.