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Impact of term limits on state executive elections in 2022
| State executive term limits analysis | |
|---|---|
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Of the 308 state executive seats on the ballot in 2022, 131 of them were represented by incumbents who were subject to term limits.[1] Twenty-seven of those incumbents were ineligible to run for re-election in 2022 due to term limits. This represented 8.8% percent of the total seats up for election in 2022.
Term-limited state executives by state
The map below displays the 36 states that had laws limiting the number of terms state executive officials could serve as of 2022. Of those states, only 30 states held elections in 2022.
- Arkansas had the most state executive officials term-limited in the 2022 elections with five officials.
- Fourteen states with state executive term limits had no officials term-limited in 2022. This included the following states: Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
Term-limited state executives by position
The 27 termed-out incumbents in 2022 held 11 different offices: attorney general, auditor, controller, corporation commissioner, governor, lieutenant governor, public service commissioner, secretary of state, state board of regents, superintendent of public instruction, and treasurer.
The 27 termed-out incumbents were from 16 states. Seven states were controlled by a Democratic trifecta, seven by a Republican trifecta, and two states were under a divided government. A state government trifecta exists when one political party holds the governor's office and majority control in both chambers of the state legislature. As of March 2022, there were 23 Republican trifectas, 14 Democratic trifectas, and 13 divided governments where neither party held trifecta control.
| 2022 breakdown by position | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Number of term-limited officeholders |  Democrats
|
 Republicans
|
 Other
|
| Agriculture Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Attorney General | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Auditor | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Board of Education | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Board of Equalization | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Board of Regents | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Comptroller/Controller | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Corporation Commissioner | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Governor | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Insurance Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Labor Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Land Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lieutenant Governor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Public Service/Regulation Commissioner | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Secretary of State | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Superintendent of Schools | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Transportation Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Treasurer | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 27 | 9 | 16 | 2 |
Differential impact on parties
Term limits create open seats, which can impact the competitiveness of state executive elections. A total of 308 state executive seats were on the ballot in 2022, and 131 of those seats were subject to term limits. Out of those 131 seats, 27 featured an open seat since the incumbent was term-limited.
| 2022 term-limited state executive elections | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Trifecta status[2] | Democrats
|
Republicans
|
Other
|
# of seats with term limits | % of seats term-limited in 2022 |
| Alabama | Republican | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 28.6% |
| Alaska | Divided government | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Arizona | Republican | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 25.0% |
| Arkansas | Republican | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 71.4% |
| California | Democratic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 8.3% |
| Colorado | Democratic | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 7.7% |
| Delaware | Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Florida | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0% |
| Georgia | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Hawaii | Democratic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Indiana | Republican | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 33.3% |
| Kansas | Divided government | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Louisiana | Divided government | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| Maine | Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Maryland | Divided government | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 100.0% |
| Michigan | Divided government | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0% |
| Missouri | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% |
| Montana | Republican | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Nebraska | Republican | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Nevada | Democratic | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 27.3% |
| New Mexico | Democratic | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 28.6% |
| Ohio | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0% |
| Oklahoma | Republican | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 22.2% |
| Oregon | Democratic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100.0% |
| Pennsylvania | Divided government | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Rhode Island | Democratic | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 40.0%% |
| South Carolina | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0% |
| South Dakota | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0% |
| Tennessee | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Wyoming | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% |
| Total | N/A | 9 | 16 | 2 | 131 | 20.6% |
Term-limited elections by state
Alabama
Thirteen state executive offices were up for election in Alabama in 2022. Two officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Auditor Jim Zeigler (R)
- Secretary of State John Merrill (R)
Alaska
Two state executive offices were up for election in Alaska in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Arizona
Eight state executive offices were up for election in Arizona in 2022. Two officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Governor Doug Ducey (R)
- Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R)
Arkansas
Seven state executive offices were up for election in Arkansas in 2022. Five officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Governor Asa Hutchinson (R)
- Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin (R)
- Attorney General Leslie Rutledge (R)
- Auditor Andrea Lea (R)
- Treasurer Dennis Milligan (R)
California
Twelve state executive offices were up for election in California in 2022. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Controller Betty Yee (D)
Colorado
Thirteen state executive offices were up for election in Colorado in 2022. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.
- State Board of Regents District 4 Representative Sue Sharkey (R)
Delaware
Three state executive offices were up for election in Delaware in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Florida
Five state executive offices were up for election in Florida in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Georgia
Nine state executive offices were up for election in Georgia in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Hawaii
Seven state executive offices were up for election in Hawaii in 2022. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Governor David Ige (D)
Indiana
Three state executive offices were up for election in Indiana in 2022. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Treasurer Kelly Mitchell (R)
Kansas
Eleven state executive offices were up for election in Kansas in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Louisiana
Two state executive offices were up for election in Louisiana in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Maine
One state executive office was up for election in Maine in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Maryland
Four state executive offices were up for election in Maryland in 2022. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Governor Larry Hogan (R)
Michigan
Twelve state executive offices were up for election in Michigan in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Missouri
One state executive office was up for election in Missouri in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Montana
Two state executive offices were up for election in Montana in 2022. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Public Service Commissioner Brad Johnson (R)
Nebraska
Fourteen state executive offices were up for election in Nebraska in 2022. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Governor Pete Ricketts (R)
Nevada
Eleven state executive offices were up for election in Nevada in 2022. Three officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske (R)
- State Board of Regents District 7 Representative Mark Doubrava (Nonpartisan)
- State Board of Regents District 11 Representative Jason Geddes (Nonpartisan)
New Mexico
Twelve state executive offices were up for election in New Mexico in 2022. Two officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Attorney General Hector Balderas (D)
- Treasurer Tim Eichenberg (D)
Ohio
Eleven state executive offices were up for election in Ohio in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Oklahoma
Nine state executive offices were up for election in Oklahoma in 2022. Two officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister (D)
- Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy (R)
Oregon
Two state executive offices were up for election in Oregon in 2022. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Governor Kate Brown (D)
Pennsylvania
Two state executive offices were up for election in Pennsylvania in 2022. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Governor Tom Wolf (D)
Rhode Island
Five state executive offices were up for election in Rhode Island in 2022. Two officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
- Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea (D)
- Treasurer Seth Magaziner (D)
South Carolina
Eight state executive offices were up for election in South Carolina in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
South Dakota
Eight state executive offices were up for election in South Dakota in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Tennessee
One state executive office was up for election in Tennessee in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
Wyoming
Five state executive offices were up for election in Wyoming in 2022. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.
See also
- State executive official elections, 2022
- State executives with term limits
- Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2022
- Term limits on the ballot
- Term limits in the United States
- Impact of term limits on state executive elections in 2021
Footnotes
- ↑ This does not include executive offices in the U.S. Territories, but it does include executive offices in Washington, D.C.
- ↑ A state's trifecta status was current as of the 2022 election.
