15 States That Use Term Limits on Their Lawmakers

Published: 31 Oct, 2019
1 min read

Term limits are arguably the most popular political reform in the US. McLaughlin and Associates found in February 2018 that 82% of US voters support term limits for Congress, including 89% of Republicans, 76% of Democrats, and 83% of Independents.

Most states -- 36 to the exact -- impose some type of term limits on their governor, much like there is a 2-term limit for president. However, on the legislative side, the number is significantly diminished. While 21 states have passed term limits for their respective legislature at one point or another, only 15 currently use them.

Here are those states:

Arizona

In 1992, Arizona voters overwhelmingly approved term limits on state legislators with 74.2% of the vote. State legislators can serve up to 8 years in each chamber. However, the 8 years is not a lifetime total. Politicians can serve up to the limit in one chamber, seek election in the other chamber, and serve another 8 years.

In this article

You Might Also Like

SCOTUS
Independents Respond: Should There Be Supreme Court Term Limits?
IVN asked its audience if they support term limits for the US Supreme Court after President Joe Biden announced his position that justices should be limited to 18-year terms instead of a lifetime appointment as stipulated in the US Constitution....
31 Jul, 2024
-
4 min read
image article
Would Term Limits for the House and Senate Encourage Bipartisanship?
Editor's Note: The pieces below feature two sides to the debate on term limits from Jonathan Simpson...
12 Apr, 2022
-
17 min read
The American River
Josh Hoover’s Test as a Moderate Republican: Can He Win Independent Voters Again?
The American River connects the cities of Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and Citrus Heights, forming the core of California’s 7th Assembly District, which also includes the unincorporated communities of McClellan Park, North Highlands, Foothill Farms, Fair Oaks, Orangevale, Gold River, Rosemont, Mather, and most of Carmichael. The district lies entirely within Sacramento County....
06 Jan, 2026
-
9 min read
hand putting ballot in box.
A Million Californians Sign On to Voter ID – Forcing a 2026 Ballot Fight
California Assemblymember Carl DeMaio’s Reform California, which has proposed amending the California Constitution with a voter ID ballot measure, says it has crossed a major threshold going into 2026 – and it is not slowing down....
05 Jan, 2026
-
3 min read
Tim Walz
With Tim Walz Out, Is Minnesota Ripe for The Next Jesse Ventura?
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat and Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election that Donald J. Trump ultimately won, announced January 5 that he will not seek a third term in 2026. ...
05 Jan, 2026
-
2 min read