8.2: Choose Me! What Does It Take To Be Governor?

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The formal qualifications for governor are so broad that several million Texans could legally run for the office. Article 4 of the Texas Constitution stipulates that the governor must be at least thirty years old, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Texas for the five years immediately preceding the election. These requirements also apply to the lieutenant governor. Article 4 also mandates that the governor "shall be installed on the first Tuesday after the organization of the Legislature, or as soon thereafter as practicable."⁴

Formally qualifying for the Texas governorship and actually having a chance at being considered seriously as a candidate are two very different matters. The social, political, and economic realities of the state dictate that personal characteristics also play a critical role in determining who will be the victors in gubernatorial elections. Some of these personal characteristics are based on accomplishments, or at least positive involvement, for those who want to be governor. Others are innate traits that are beyond the control of the individual.

These characteristics are similar to but even more stringent than those for members of the legislature. In short, unless something unusual occurs in the campaign, tradition dictates that the successful candidate for governor will be a middle-aged white male who is politically conservative, well educated, involved in civic affairs, and either wealthy or well financed by those who are wealthy. In addition, the individual will probably have held some other office (often that of attorney general or lieutenant governor), although being a professional politician is sometimes a liability among voters.

Election, Term of Office, and Tenure

In Texas, the governor is chosen in a statewide election held during "off years" (even-numbered years when there is no presidential election). The candidates are selected in party primaries held earlier the same year. Gubernatorial elections are held in the off year so that national issues won't overshadow state issues. However, because elections for Texas governor often focus on personalities rather than issues, the importance of the off year is lost, and its main effect is that fewer people vote because there is no presidential election that serves as a drawing card. The lieutenant governor is selected in the same manner but runs independently of the governor.

In 1974, when a 1972 constitutional amendment became effective, the governor's term of office was extended from two to four years. There is no constitutional limit on the number of terms a Texas governor may serve.

You’re Fired! Well, At Least Impeached

In Texas, a governor may be removed from office only through an impeachment proceeding. Impeachment is a formal accusation similar to a grand jury indictment. The state constitution does not specifically define the meaning of “impeachable offenses.” By implication and by the precedents set in the impeachment of Governor James E. Ferguson in 1917, however, the grounds are malfeasance (official misconduct), misfeasance (incompetence), and nonfeasance (failure to perform) in office.

The impeachment procedure in Texas is similar to that at the national level. The Texas House, by a majority vote of those present, must first impeach the executive. Once the formal accusation is issued. the Senate acts as a trial court. Conviction requires a two-thirds vote of the senators present. Penalties for conviction are removal from office and disqualification from holding future governmental offices in the state. Criminal charges, if any, must be brought in a regular court of law.

Succession

So, if a governor is removed from office, then what? Who takes the governor’s place? If a governor is removed from office by impeachment and conviction, dies in office or before taking office, or resigns, the Texas Constitution provides that the lieutenant governor shall become governor. A 1999 constitutional amendment further stipulates that should the governor become disabled, the lieutenant governor must assume the duties of the office. Should the governor die or otherwise he unable to return, the lieutenant governor then becomes governor for the remainder of the term of the governor who vacated the office. If the lieutenant governor is unable to serve, the president pro tempore of the Senate becomes governor. When the lieutenant governor becomes governor, the lieutenant governor's position becomes vacant. The vacancy must he filled within thirty days by electing a member of the state Senate to serve as presiding officer and to fulfill the duties of lieutenant governor until the next general election.

The impetus for the 1999 amendment was to ensure a smooth transition in the event that Governor George W. Bush was elected president before his term expired in January 2002. Bush's run at the presidency also intensified Senate elections set to occur in 2000 because control of the Senate meant control not only of redistricting but also of the all-powerful presiding officer’s election. The amendment clarified some issues previously addressed by statue whether one person could be governor and lieutenant governor simultaneously (not possible)

Show Me the Money!

So, how much money does the governor make? A 1954 amendment allows the legislature to determine the salary of the governor and other elected executives. The legislature provided generous increments for many years, raising the governor's salary from $12,000 in 1954 to $99,122 in 1992–1993, and then to its current rate of $153,750 in 2019. Once second only to that of New York's governor, the Texas governor's salary has slipped to eleventh and continues to lag in the national rankings as other states have awarded pay raises to their governors.

The lieutenant governor is paid as a legislator ($7,200 annually plus a per diem) but receives a salary supplement for acting as governor whenever the governor leaves the state. Although well paid, particularly in comparison to legislators who are paid $7,200 annually (and a $221 per diem), the Texas governor is by no means the best-paid executive on the state payroll. Top-dollar honors belong to the chancellors, presidents, and athletic coaches of the state's largest university systems, many of whom receive base salaries of several hundred thousand dollars and total compensation packages that have the potential to reach as much as $2.5 million.

States pay their governors salaries only a fraction of what many top-level executives in the private sector earn. Despite the comparatively modest salaries, however, the states have no shortage of qualified applicants for their chief executive positions. Candidates continue to run and, when elected, to serve with reasonable competence. Consequently, state taxpayers have little incentive to increase gubernatorial pay.

The governor also receives numerous fringe benefits. The Texas Constitution provides an official mansion (Figure 8.10), and other benefits include travel and operating budgets, the use of state-owned vehicles and aircraft, bodyguards furnished by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and offices and professional staff. These benefits compare favorably with those of other governors.

截屏2021-09-26 下午8.17.20.png — Figure 8.10 Texas Governor’s Mansion. The Texas Governor’s Mansion, immediately southwest of the Texas Capitol building, has been home to Texas governors and their families since 1856. SOURCE: "Texas Governor's Mansion" by joseph a is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Staff and Organization

Like other chief executives, the governor alone is unable to perform all the functional and ceremonial tasks assigned to the office. Personal staff and the professional staffs of the divisions that comprise the Office of the Governor provide assistance in fulfilling these obligations. Certain staff members are assigned to act as legislative liaisons that lobby for the governor's programs, and often it is through them that the governor makes known an impending threat to veto a particular piece of legislation. Other staff members are involved in recommending candidates for the numerous appointments the governor must make to executive agencies, panels, boards, and commissions. The governor's aides also prepare the executive budget, coordinate the various departments and activities of the governor's office, and schedule appointments and activities. Overall, in addition to handling routine duties and occasional emergency situations, the governor's staff provides assistance in performing the specific tasks assigned to the office by law and in orchestrating political activities to promote the enactment of the governor's programs.

Each governor organizes the office somewhat differently. More than anything else, the method by which programs are configured in organizational differences. Commonly, new program initiative', begin under the governor's auspices and then become independent or are moved under the authority of other agencies. As of 2021, the governor's office consisted of the following elements:

Appointments Office, which assists late governor in making nominations for boards, commissions, and advisory committees;
Budget, Planning, and Policy Division, which prepares the executive budget, including coordination of requests from state agencies and cooperation with the Legislative Budget Board to prepare a state strategic plan and monitor the development and implementation of the plans of individual agencies;
Child Sex Trafficking Team, which works to prevent victimization and to recognize, recover, heal, and bring justice to survivors;
Commission for Women, which promotes opportunities for Texas women through outreach, education, research and referral services;
Committee on People with Disabilities, which pursues a vision where people with disabilities have full and equal access for independent, productive and self-determined lives;
Committee on People with Disabilities, which serves a general advocacy function on behalf of people with disabilities;
The Division of Economic Development and Tourism, which promotes Texas with expanding companies and visitors from across the country and all over the worlds;
Human Resources Division, which provides information about employment in the governor's office;
Public Safety Office, which enhances public safety through strategic direction and investments in programs that enhance the criminal justice system, support victims of crime and prevent terrorism;
Texas Film Commission, which encourages moviemaking in the state by providing support for such activities as finding locations and accommodating production needs;
Texas Military Preparedness Commission, which works to prevent base closures and assists defense-dependent communities;
Texas Music Office, which is an information clearinghouse and promotion agency for the music industry;
Press Office, which issues all press releases and announcements on behalf of the governor and works with the media;
State Grants Team, which alerts agencies and local governments about funding opportunities;
Governor's Commission for Women, which seeks to improve and acts as an advocate for the personal and professional status of women;
Texas Workforce Investment Council, which plans and evaluates activities in conjunction with the development of a well-educated, skilled workforce;
Texas Review and Comments System, which is the intergovernmental review system.⁵

4. Texas Const., art IV.

5. “Gov. Abbott Announces ‘Operation Lone Star’ to Combat Drug, People Smuggling at the Border,” KFOX 14, Mar. 26, 2021, https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/govern...isis-at-border.