Relating to the governor. Providing that there be a lieutenant governor who shall assume the duties of the governor if the governor is incapacitated.
CACR 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would create the office of lieutenant governor in New Hampshire and revise the state’s gubernatorial succession rules. Under the proposal, the governor and lieutenant governor would be elected jointly on the same ticket, by a single vote cast for both offices, and both would serve the same term. The amendment also preserves the existing eligibility requirements for governor and applies them to the lieutenant governor as well, including the seven-year residency requirement and minimum age of 30.
The measure substantially rewrites the constitution’s provisions on what happens when the governor is unable to serve. If adopted, the lieutenant governor would be first in line to act as governor in cases of death, resignation, removal, failure to qualify, incapacity, or absence. If the lieutenant governor were also unable to serve, succession would continue to the president of the senate, then the speaker of the house, and then the secretary of state. The amendment also updates procedures for determining gubernatorial incapacity, including judicial review by the Supreme Court and a mechanism for the General Court to declare a vacancy after a prolonged disability or failure to qualify.
Because this is a constitutional amendment, it would not change ordinary statutes directly; instead, it would alter the state constitution’s executive-branch structure and succession framework. If approved by the required two-thirds of voters on the question, it would take effect upon proclamation by the governor and would require the state to implement a new elected executive office and adjust election administration for a joint governor-lieutenant governor ballot.
The available context shows no committee transcript, recorded votes, or formal opposition/support statements, so the overall sentiment cannot be measured from legislative debate. The bill text itself presents the amendment as a clarification and modernization of succession rules, and the voters’ guide frames it as replacing the current system in which the president of the senate is first in line with one in which a lieutenant governor would serve as the immediate successor. The main point of contention implied by the proposal is structural: whether New Hampshire should create a new statewide executive office and shift succession authority away from legislative leaders and other constitutional officers.
This proposed constitutional amendment would change the New Hampshire Constitution, not the statutory code, by creating a lieutenant governor and revising Articles 41, 42, 49, and 49-a. It would establish joint election of governor and lieutenant governor, make the lieutenant governor first in the line of succession, and update the procedures for handling gubernatorial incapacity, vacancy, and prolonged failure to qualify. If adopted, state election officials would need to place the question on the 2026 general election ballot and implement the new constitutional framework after voter approval and gubernatorial proclamation.
No committee discussion or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize from debate or roll call. The bill text and voters’ guide present the amendment in a neutral explanatory manner, emphasizing succession clarity and the creation of a lieutenant governor. Based on the text alone, the proposal appears to be framed as an administrative and constitutional restructuring rather than a partisan policy change, but the absence of transcripts means support or opposition cannot be assessed from the available record.
The central issue is whether New Hampshire should create a lieutenant governor and make that office the first successor to an incapacitated governor, replacing the current arrangement in which the president of the senate is first in line. That change affects the balance of power among executive and legislative officers, since it reduces the likelihood that a legislative leader would immediately assume gubernatorial duties. Another possible point of concern is the joint-election structure, which ties the governor and lieutenant governor together on a single vote and may raise questions about voter choice, ticket alignment, and how the offices would function in practice. No specific objections or endorsements are documented in the provided materials.