In Michigan House of Representatives, more Democrats than Republicans feel impact of term limits

August 18, 2010

Pamela Byrnes, is ineligible to run for Michigan State Senate District 52 because of term limits. Byrnes has held her seat since 2004.

By Jimmy Ardis

See also: Michigan State Senate facing heavy turnover due to term limits

Michigan, a state often described as having some of the toughest state legislative term limits in the country, is facing significant turnover in the House of Representatives this election. 28% of the house will be ineligible to run for re-election this November due to term limits. Michigan Representatives can serve no more than three four-year terms.

In 2010, the impact of the term limits that Michigan voters approved when they enacted Proposal B in 1992 will be felt by more Democrats than Republicans. Eighteen Democrats will be forced out of office this year due to term limits, compared to 13 Republicans (full listings below).

Michigan state representative whose seats are up for election in 2010 but who are unable to run because of the state's term limits are:

Democrats (18):

• Alma Wheeler Smith
• Andy Dillon
• Andy Neumann
• Bert Johnson
• Bettie Scott
• Douglas Bennett
• Dudley Spade
• Ed Clemente
• Fred Miller
• Gabriel Leland
• Gary McDowell
• George Cushingberry, Jr.
• Gino Polidori
• Jeff Mayes
• Joel Sheltrown
• John Espinoza
• Kathy Angerer
• LaMar Lemmons, Jr.
• Lee Gonzales
• Marie Donigan
• Pamela Byrnes

Republicans (13):

• Andy Dillon
• Bill Caul
• Darwin Booher
• Dave Hildenbrand
• Goeff Hansen
• James Marleau
• John Proos, IV
• Kevin Elsenheimer
• Kevin Green
• Phil Pavlov
• Richard Ball
• Rick Jones
• Thomas Pearce
• Tim Moore, Former Michigan Representative
• Tonya Schuitmaker
• Tory Rocca

Democrats hold a 22-seat advantage over Republicans going into the November 2 election, and could possibly hold the majority despite losing 18 representatives to term limits, while the Republicans lose only 13 seats.

Party		As of May 2013
	Democratic Party	50
	Republican Party	59
	Independent	1
	Vacancy	1
Total		110

Louis Jacobson, a staff writer for PolitiFact, did an early-season analysis of which state legislatures may change majority party control as a result of the November elections. He rates the Michigan House of Representatives as leaning Democrat, with term limits impacting both parties at the margins.

See also

• Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2010#Michigan
• Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2010
• State house elections, 2010
• State legislatures with term limits