<P> Also, following Whitman's resignation and DiFrancesco's departure, John O. Bennett also served as acting governor for three and a half days . Similarly, Richard J. Codey served as acting governor as well; owing to how control of the New Jersey State Senate was split, thus making two Senate Presidents, Codey and Bennett; each held the office of acting governor for three days . These events as much as any other factor led to the voters' decision to amend the state constitution to create the office of Lieutenant Governor . </P> <P> In Massachusetts, in the event of a vacancy in the governor's office, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of the office, but not the office for the remainder of the term, thus becoming acting governor, while retaining the lieutenant governor's office . In 1997, when William Weld resigned to pursue the ambassadorship to Mexico, Paul Cellucci took over as acting governor until after his 1998 election as governor, when he assumed office in January 1999 . In 2001 when Cellucci resigned to become ambassador to Canada, Jane Swift became the acting governor for the remainder of the term, until January 2003 . </P> <P> In West Virginia, if the governorship becomes vacant, the Senate President acts as governor . If more than one year remains in the governor's term at the time of vacancy, a special election is held; otherwise, the Senate President serves the remainder of the term . A bill passed in 2000 grants the Senate President the honorary title of Lieutenant Governor, but this title is rarely used in practice and the terms of the Senate President do not correspond with governorships . Then - Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin is the first person under the current state Constitution to act as governor following the November 15, 2010 resignation of Joe Manchin following his election to the United States Senate seat vacated by the death of Robert Byrd . As there was more than one year remaining on Manchin's term as governor, a special election was held, which Tomblin won . He became governor on November 13, 2011 to complete the term . </P> <P> The powers of an acting governor came into dispute during the 1980 Democratic primary presidential campaign of Jerry Brown, then governor of California . When he was campaigning out of state, which was often in late 1979 and early 1980, Mike Curb, a Republican who was then serving as Lieutenant Governor of California often used his position as acting governor to veto legislation, promulgate executive orders, issue proclamations, and to do other things that Brown would not likely have done had he been present in the state . This eventually resulted in litigation, much of which went in Curb's favor . </P>

Who succeeds to the governor's office of the governor is no longer able to perform his duties