How to Address an Official-Elect
How to Address an Official-elect?
—-How do I address the vice-president elect?
—-How do I refer to a governor-elect in the U.S.A.?
—-How do I identify a newly-elected judge who hasn’t taken the oath of office?
—-Summary: Among elected U.S. officials they are the Honorable once elected in a general election, but must wait for the honorific of their office – if the office comes with a special honorific – until they take the oath of office.
—-The rule is that in the U.S.A., once elected – one is immediately addressed in writing or in a full introduction as ‘the Honorable’ (Full Name):
————The Honorable (Full Name)
—-The reason? One is entitled to be addressed as ‘the Honorable’ once one has been elected in a general election.
—-But in the salutation or in conversation use …
————Dear Mr./Ms./Dr./etc. (Surname):
—-… or whatever honorific to which he or she is entitled – prior to the election. So, a current official continues to be addressed in a salutation or conversation by the office they hold, not the office to which they are about to be sworn.
—-Use of Mr. Vice President, Governor (Name), Judge (Name), or (whatever special honorific comes with the new job) is reserved until he or she has taken their oath.
—-One would identify him or her as the vice-president-elect, governor-elect, judge-elect, or (fill in the blank)-elect … but these are not actually titles, offices, or positions. These are adjectives which describe his or her status and are used as an identification – they are not forms of address.
—-—-—-– Robert Hickey
Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”
Is a Mayor-Elect ‘Your Honor’?
Our mayor-elect is coming to our building today. If I have the occasion to address him personally, should I call him ‘Your Honor’ even though he will not take office for two months? Or is he still ‘Mr. (Surname)’?
——————-– Laurie in Chicago
Dear Laurie:
Address him/her as ‘Mr./Ms. (Surname)’ … or with whatever honorific to which he or she used prior to the election.
He will be addressed with the forms of address due a Mayor when he takes the oath and is sworn in. He is already ‘the Honorable (Full Name)’ on a letter because he has been elected office but won’t be addressed as ‘Your Honor’ or ‘Mayor (Surname)’ until he takes office.
– Robert Hickey
Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”
When Should You Use the Forms on this Page?
You can use these forms of address for any mode of communication: addressing a letter, invitation, card or Email. (If there are differences between the official and social forms of address, I will have mentioned the different forms.) The form noted in the salutation is the same form you say when you say their name in conversation or when you greet them.
___What I don’t cover on this site are many things I do cover in my book: all the rules of forms of address, about names, international titles, precedence, complimentary closes, details on invitations, place cards, all sorts of introductions, etc. I hope you’ll get a copy of the book if you’d like the further detail.
Not Finding Your Answer?
—-#1) At right on desktops, at the bottom of every page on tablets and phones, is a list of all the offices, officials & topics covered on the site.
—-#2) If you don’t see the official you seek included or your question answered send me an e-mail. I am pretty fast at sending a reply: usually the next day or so (unless I am traveling.) Note: I don’t have mailing or Email addresses for any of the officials and I don’t keep track of offices that exist only in history books.
—-#3) If I think your question is of interest to others, Sometimes I post the question – but always change all the specifics.
— Robert Hickey
Robert Hickey author of “Honor & Respect”
Recommended Resources: The Protocol School of Washington (PSOW) and Protocol and Diplomacy International – Protocol Officers Association (PDI-POA) For more information see the Protocol Resources page.