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Title 48 — Territories and Insular PossessionsRelease 119-73

§1595 Vacancy in office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor

Title 48 › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - VIRGIN ISLANDS [1954] › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - EXECUTIVE BRANCH › § 1595

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

When the Governor is temporarily unable or away, the Lieutenant Governor must do the Governor's job. If the Governor permanently leaves office — by death, resignation, removal by recall, permanent disability, or if a Governor‑elect cannot serve — the Lieutenant Governor or Lieutenant Governor‑elect becomes Governor and serves the remainder of the term until a successor is elected at the next regular election. If the Lieutenant Governor is temporarily unavailable or is acting as Governor, the president of the legislature acts as Lieutenant Governor. If the Lieutenant Governor permanently leaves office, the Governor appoints a replacement with the legislature's approval to finish the term. If both offices are vacant, local law decides who serves. No extra pay is given to someone only acting in either office.

Full Legal Text

Title 48, §1595

Territories and Insular Possessions — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In case of the temporary disability or temporary absence of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor shall have the powers of the Governor.
(b)In case of a permanent vacancy in the office of Governor, arising by reason of the death, resignation, removal by recall or permanent disability of the Governor, or the death, resignation, or permanent disability of a Governor-elect, or for any other reason, the Lieutenant Governor or Lieutenant Governor-elect shall become the Governor, to hold office for the unexpired term and until he or his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified at the next regular election for Governor.
(c)In case of the temporary disability or temporary absence of the Lieutenant Governor, or during any period when the Lieutenant Governor is acting as Governor, the president of the legislature shall act as Lieutenant Governor.
(d)In case of a permanent vacancy in the office of Lieutenant Governor, arising by reason of the death, resignation, or permanent disability of the Lieutenant Governor, or because the Lieutenant Governor or Lieutenant Governor-elect has succeeded to the office of Governor, the Governor shall appoint a new Lieutenant Governor, with the advice and consent of the legislature, to hold office for the unexpired term and until he or his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified at the next regular election for Lieutenant Governor.
(e)In case of the temporary disability or temporary absence of both the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor, the powers of the Governor shall be exercised, as Acting Governor, by such person as the laws of the Virgin Islands may prescribe. In case of a permanent vacancy in the offices of both the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, the office of Governor shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner prescribed by the laws of the Virgin Islands.
(f)No additional compensation shall be paid to any person acting as Governor or Lieutenant Governor who does not also assume the office of Governor or Lieutenant Governor under the provisions of this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1968—Pub. L. 90–496 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted provisions that in case of the temporary disability or temporary absence of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor shall have the powers of the Governor for provisions that in case of a vacancy in the office of Governor or the disability of the Governor or the temporary absence of the Governor, the Government Secretary shall have all the powers of the Governor, and added subsecs. (b) to (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1968 AmendmentAmendment of provisions of section necessary to authorize the holding of an election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor on Nov. 3, 1970, effective Jan. 1, 1970, and all other

Amendments

of provisions of section, unless otherwise expressly provided by Pub. L. 90–496, effective Jan. 4, 1971, see section 16 of Pub. L. 90–496, set out as a note under section 1591 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

48 U.S.C. § 1595

Title 48 — Territories and Insular Possessions

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73