The lieutenant governor of Mississippi is the second-highest ranking executive officer in Mississippi, below the governor of Mississippi. The office of lieutenant governor was established when Mississippi became a state, abolished for a few decades in the first half of the 19th century, and restored later in the century. The lieutenant governor is the president of the Mississippi State Senate and presides over that body, only voting to break a tie. Compared to the lieutenant governors in other states, Mississippi's has a great deal of power in the state senate. The lieutenant governor has the sole ability to appoint members, vice-chairmen, and chairmen to the various Senate committees, regardless of each party's strength in the chamber. Given that power, it is argued that the office is more powerful than the governorship. There is a two-term limit, with each term being four years long. In the event of the death, resignation, or removal of the governor, the lieutenant governor assumes the higher office. Also, if the governor is out of state, then the lieutenant governor can act in the governor's place. History The office of lieutenant governor of Mississippi was established by the state's 1817 constitution and it and the governorship were the only popularly-elected statewide positions. The role was eliminated in the 1832 constitution and reintroduced in the 1869 constitution. Brad Dye, who held the office over three terms from 1980 to 1992, was the state's longest-serving lieutenant governor. Unlike previous holders of the office, he used his appointment power in the Mississippi Senate to strategically place his allies on committees to advance his own political goals. In 1992 the constitution was amended to limit the office holder to serving two consecutive terms. Following a reduction in the powers of the speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1987, a group of senators unsuccessfully attempted to strip the lieutenant governor of their power to appoint committees and refer bills to them. The majority of Mississippi Lieutenant Governors have been Democrats, although the post has been held continuously by Republicans since 2002. Since the end of Reconstruction, there have been only four Republicans: Eddie Briggs, who served from 1992 to 1996; Amy Tuck, who served from 2000 to 2008 (who was originally elected as a Democrat before switching to the Republican Party in December 2002 and being re-elected as a Republican in 2003). There have been three consecutive full-time Republicans