By Howard Fisher | Capitol Media Services via PinalCentral
Arizonans may get to decide if they want to elect the state’s chief executive the same way they elect the president: with a built-in replacement.
HCR 2020 would set up a system where each party’s gubernatorial candidate would choose a running mate. The pair would run as a ticket and, if elected, the running mate would become the lieutenant governor.
The measure gained preliminary House approval on Wednesday. But it still needs a final roll-call vote and Senate OK before being placed on the November ballots where voters would get the final say.
Rep. Becky Nutt, R-Clifton, said the biggest effect would be to scrap the system where the death, recall, resignation or impeachment conviction of a governor elevates the secretary of state to the chief executive.
What makes that troubling for some is that the secretary of state is separately elected. More significant, that person may not be from the same party.
It’s happened before.
