The Candidates for Lieutenant Governor

California's lieutenant governor takes over when the governor is incapacitated or out of state. While waiting for something to happen, he or she sits on the State Lands Commission, Economic Development Commission and the boards of the University of Califronia and California State systems. The lieutenant governor also can break a very rare tie vote in the State Senate. The incumbent is former three-term Republican Senator Abel Maldonado, who spurned his own party last year to break a legislative tie on Governor Schwarzenegger's budget. Last April, after the elected Democrat, John Garamendi won a seat in Congress, Schwarzenegger appointed Maldonado to serve out his term. His Democratic challenger is Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco.