Michigan State Senate facing heavy turnover due to term limits
August 18, 2010
By Jimmy Ardis
Michigan, a state often described as having some of the toughest state legislative term limits in the country, is facing heavy Senate turnover this election. 76% of the state senate will be ineligible to run for re-election this November due to term limits. Michigan State Senators can serve no more than two 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 Republicans than Democrats. Seventeen Republicans will be forced out of office this year due to term limits, compared to 12 Democrats (full listings below).
Democrats (12):
Republicans (17):
Republicans hold a 6-seat advantage over Democrats going into the November 2 election, but the balance of power could possibly change in light of the fact that they are losing 17 senators to term limits, while the Democratic Party is losing only 12 senators.
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 State Senate as likely to stay Republican, with term limits impacting both parties at the margins.[1] Regardless of which party comes out on top in Michigan this November, there will be many fresh faces walking around Lansing.
