Campaigns bring rare attention to Pennsylvania lieutenant governor's office

The growing field of candidates running to become Pennsylvania's next lieutenant governor has brought increased attention to the often-overlooked office.

Races for the office typically have a much lower profile and attract far less money than the governor's race. Nominees for governor and lieutenant governor appear together on general election ballots in Pennsylvania but run separately in primaries.

The lieutenant governor is the commonwealth's second-in-command and first in the line of succession when the governor can no longer serve. The lieutenant governor serves as president of the state Senate and can break ties in that chamber. The lieutenant governor serves as chairman of the state's Board of Pardons.

The governor can appoint the lieutenant governor to lead task forces, legislative initiatives and commissions.

To get on the ballot, a candidate must collect at least 1,000 signatures, with 100 or more each from at least five counties.

The job pays about $160,000 a year. The lieutenant governor works in an office in the Capitol and can live rent-free in a historic Lebanon County residence surrounded by gardens and rolling lawns.