 In 1971 , the office of Lieutenant Governor of Maryland , which had existed for only a few years in the 1860s , was re @-@ instituted by an amendment to the Maryland Constitution . The Lieutenant Governor is a weak office compared to other counterparts ( in other states including Texas , the Lieutenant Governor is the President of the State 's Senate , while in California the Lieutenant Governor assumes all of the Governor 's powers when the sitting Governor is out of the state ) , as it only possesses the powers and duties that the Governor assigns to him or her . The Lieutenant Governor is elected on the same ballot with the Governor , and to the same term @-@ of @-@ office as the Governor . The Lieutenant Governor succeeds to the Governorship only if there is a vacancy in that office . 
