“Under California’s Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor serves as Acting Governor whenever the Governor is absent from the state, and automatically becomes Governor if a vacancy occurs in the Office of Governor. The Lieutenant Governor is also President of the Senate and votes in case of a tie.
I forget which governor it was in Cal who wouldn’t leave the state because the Lt gov was opposite party and might fill all the vacancies.”
You are thinking of Jerry Brown and Mike Curb.
Brown did leave the state several times but rushed back as soon as possible so Curb would not fill vacancies or make executive orders. In one instance Brown’s caravan with a CHP escort sped across Nevada at 90 mph to make sure Curb was stopped from doing that.
thanx