FYI, here is what's come in to the Blog that relates to this office/rank.
   For recent questions sent in, check out Robert Hickey's Blog.
   For specific offices/ranks, check out Robert Hickey's On-Line Guide.

How Do I Address an Acting Governor?
    We don't have a Lieutenant Governor in New Jersey. When the Governor is away we have an Acting Governor.
    How do you go about introducing an Acting Governor? How about a former Acting Governor?
    Is the Acting Governor only the Acting Goveror when the elected Governor is out of state? Or is h or she introduced as an Acting Governor all the time?
                        -- FG, New Jersey
 
Hi FG in New Jersey:
    The role of Acting Governor is filled by the President of the New Jersey Senate.
    He or she is the Acting Governor when the elected Governor is out of state or incapacitated. New Jersey doesn't have the electe office "Lieutenant Governor" like many states do ... but beginning in 2010 that will change and there will be a Lieutenant Governor in New Jersey.
    When introducing the President of the Senate as the Acting Governor say: “May I present the Honorable (full name), Acting Governor of New Jersey.”
    Don’t directly address an Acting Governor as "Governor (name)". The rule is "address by rank, identify by office" -- so address as "Senator (name)" and identify as the Acting Governor.
    While he or she is not directly addressed as "Acting Governor (name)" one might refer to him or her as that in the third person. "Acting Governor (name) will be arriving in 20 minutes."
    A former Acting Governor is not addressed as such either ... because Acting Governor is a role ... not an office.  But you could note that the individual served as the acting governor at some point. "It is my pleasure to introduce The Honorable (full name), former President of the New Jersey Senate. Senator (last name) served as Acting Governor of New Jersey on numerous occasions during the (name of the elected Governor) administration.
                        -- Robert Hickey

How to Address a Governor-elect?
     How do I address a letter salutation to a Governor-elect?
       -- Gayle P.

Dear Gayle,
    I have that form of address on page 190 of my book. A governor-elect is immediately
             The Honorable (Full Name)
             ... since he or she has been elected in a general election.
    And in the salutation use the honorific  ...
             Dear Mr./Ms./Dr./etc. (Surname):
             ... whatever he or she would be entitled to -- prior to the election.
    Use of Governor as an honorific is reserved for the current ... singular ... official.
    One might identify him or her as The Governor-elect ... but it's not actually a title or office or position.
        -- Robert Hickey
 

How to Address a Former Governor?
       How would I address a former governor of Tennessee?
              -- Sharon in Hillsboro

       I found a video online or Tina Fey making a joke comparing Fox News' reference to Palin as "Governor" to Fey being called "Dairy Queen" (" I was once...")
       The video asserted Governor was Palin's correct title. I later came across another source that said that because Palin wasn't correct to call her "Governor" in any situation.
      Which of these sources is correct?
              -- D. Reames

Dear Sharon and D. Reames,
       Former governors continue to be The Honorable (Full Name).
       Once an honorable, always an honorable, more or less.
       But in spite of what you hear in the media, only a current governor is formally addressed in conversation or in a salutation as Governor (Name). In a salutation, former governors go back to whatever form of address they used they were before they were the governor.
       So Sarah Palin is not correctly directly addressed or referred to as Governor Palin. She of course is correctly identified in the third person as former Governor Palin, but that's not a form of address.
       Here's the rule: Offices of which many people hold the same office at a time ... senators, judges, Navy captains ... continue to be addressed using the honorific used while they were in office.  But offices which are held by a single person at a time ... the president, the governor, the mayor ... (any office you can put a "the" in front of) most formally go back to whatever they were before.
      I cover this in my book, of course, but here's a link to number of posts on former governors.
      -- Robert Hickey

Back to directory of titles  /  See who is using Honor & Respect

For forms of address for invitations, place cards, name badges, introductions, conversation, and all other formal uses, see Honor & Respect: the Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address.

Copyright © 2012 Robert Hickey.     All Rights Reserved.
Photo: Marc Goodman.