The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi is the second-highest ranking executive officer in Mississippi, right below the governor. The office of lieutenant governor was established when Mississippi became a state, abolished for a few decades in the first half of the 19th century, and restored later in the century.

The Lieutenant Governor is President of the (state) Senate and presides over that body, only voting to break a tie. Compared to the lieutenant governors in other states, Mississippi's has a great deal of power concerning the state Senate. The Lieutenant Governor has the sole ability to appoint members, vice-chairmen, and chairmen to the various Senate committees, regardless of each party's strength in the chamber. For example, former Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, a Republican, appointed other Republicans to the chairmanships of some committees, even though the Democrats had a 4 seat majority. Given that power, it is argued that the office is more powerful than the governorship.

In the event of the death, resignation, or removal of the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor assumes the higher office. Also, if the Governor is out of state, then the Lieutenant Governor can act in the Governor's place.

The Governor of Mississippi is the head of the executive branch of Mississippi's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Mississippi Legislature, to convene the legislature at any time, and, except in cases of treason or impeachment, to grant pardons and reprieves.

To be elected governor, a person must be at least 30 years old, and must have been a citizen of the United States for twenty years and a resident of Mississippi for at least five years at the time of inauguration. The Constitution of Mississippi, ratified in 1890, calls for a four-year term for the governor. The original constitution of 1817 had only a two-year term for governor; this was expanded to four years in the 1868 constitution. The lieutenant governor is elected at the same time as the governor and serves as president of the Mississippi Senate. When the office of governor becomes vacant for any reason, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term.

Mississippi (ⁱ/ˌmɪsɨˈsɪpi/) is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi ("Great River"). Mississippi is the 32nd most extensive and the 31st most populous of the 50 United States. The state is heavily forested outside of the Mississippi Delta area, which was cleared for cotton cultivation in the 19th century. Today, its catfish aquaculture farms produce the majority of farm-raised catfish consumed in the United States. The state symbol is the magnolia grandiflora tree.

Mississippi is bordered on the north by Tennessee, on the east by Alabama, on the south by Louisiana and a narrow coast on the Gulf of Mexico and on the west, across the Mississippi River, by Louisiana and Arkansas.

In addition to its namesake, major rivers in Mississippi include the Big Black River, the Pearl River, the Yazoo River, the Pascagoula River, and the Tombigbee River. Major lakes include Ross Barnett Reservoir, Arkabutla Lake, Sardis Lake and Grenada Lake. The largest lake in Mississippi is Grenada Lake.

A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command". In many Commonwealth of Nations states, a lieutenant governor is the representative of the monarch and act as chief executive officer of the state, province or territory they received appointment.

The Netherlands has a Lieutenant governor (Dutch: gezaghebber) in each of the three special municipalities on the islands in the Caribbean Netherlands; Saba, Bonaire, and Sint Eustatius, where their function is similar to a Mayor in the European Netherlands.

In the Netherlands Antilles, the Lieutenant governor (Dutch: gezaghebber) was head of the governing council of the island territories which formed a level of decentral government until the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles.

Jonathon Tate Reeves (born June 5, 1974), a Republican, is the 32nd and current Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi. Reeves was earlier elected as Mississippi’s 33rd Treasurer on November 4, 2003 and re-elected to a second term in 2007. He is the first Republican treasurer in the state’s history. Reeves holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation (CFA) and is a member of the CFA Society of Mississippi and the CFA Institute, an investment industry organization. In 1996, he was the recipient of the Mississippi Society of Financial Analysts Award.^{[citation needed]}

Reeves is a Rankin County native and a graduate of Florence High School. He is an honors graduate of Millsaps College and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. While at Millsaps, he played point guard for the Millsaps Majors basketball team and was a member of Kappa Alpha Order. Reeves has continued to be an active alumnus and remains involved with his alma mater by serving as a member of the investment policy board for the Millsaps College General Louis Wilson Fund and a member the Advisory Committee of the Else School of Management. He was born June 5, 1974 and is of Irish and English descent.