This week's question was, How many state executive officials have left office early since 2012?

You answered: 243
That's correct!

Since 2012, we've tracked a total of 243 state executive officials who've left office early—something we call an irregular office change. We define an irregular office change to be when an elected or appointed official does not complete the full term of office.

Since the start of the year, we’ve tracked 20 state executive officials who’ve left office early—the sixth highest number since we began tracking such unscheduled office changes in 2012.

In 2023, four Republicans, four Democrats, and 12 nonpartisan officeholders have left office early thus far. Here’s how that breaks down by office type:

• 2 lieutenant governors
• 3 secretaries of state
• 2 attorneys general
• 1 treasurer
• 8 superintendent of schools/commissioner of education
• 3 agricultural commissioners

Since we began tracking irregular office changes in 2012, there have been 39 irregular changes in public service commissioner offices—the most of any office. This is followed by the offices of secretary of state, with 25, and superintendent of public instruction, with 24. Since 2012, the most irregular office changes in a single state in a single year was in 2013 in Indiana. In total, Indiana, with 12, is the state with the most overall irregular office changes since 2012. Montana, with one in 2015, is the state with the fewest irregular office changes.

Click here to learn more about state executive irregular office changes.

Thanks for your response!