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[[Category:Features of state legislatures]]
[[Category:Length of state legislative terms]]

Revision as of 20:11, 29 July 2021

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Features of State Legislatures
Length of terms: Representatives • Senators
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Voting on
Term Limits
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State legislative
term limits

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The length of terms of state representatives in the 49 American lower chambers is either two years or four years.

Representatives in five states (Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi and North Dakota) have a four-year term. Representatives in 44 states have a two-year term.

In contrast, term lengths of state senators are generally longer. State senators in only 12 states serve two-year terms. Thirty states have four-year terms for state senators. In the remaining eight states, senators serve one two-year term and two four-year terms every ten years in the 2-4-4 term system.

See also: Length of terms of state senators

State legislatures with term limits

See also: State legislatures with term limits

In 15 state legislatures, state legislators are subject to term limits. Voters in six additional states voted to have term limits, only to have those votes nullified. In two cases, the state legislature voted to nullify the limits imposed by voters, while in four other states, courts nullified the voter-imposed limits, primarily for technical reasons.

States with term limits
Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Florida • Louisiana • Maine • Michigan • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • Ohio • Oklahoma • South Dakota

Lifetime versus consecutive

Legislative term limits can be either lifetime or consecutive. In the ten states where the limits are consecutive, once a state legislator has served the maximum number of terms in office, he or she, if eligible, can run for office for the state's other legislative chamber, or leave the legislature. These states are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota. After a period of time no longer in office in a particular legislative chamber, however, the legislator is allowed to run again for office in that legislative chamber. The period of time that a legislator must be out of office before being able to run again is usually two years.

In five of the 15 states with limits on state legislators, the limit is a lifetime limit. These states are California, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, and Oklahoma. In these states, once a legislator has served the maximum allowable number of terms in a particular legislative chamber, they may never again run for or hold office in that particular chamber.[1]

Length of terms

In the map below, the five blue states represent the lower chambers with four-year terms: Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi and North Dakota. The green states represent those with two-year terms.

Length of terms of state representatives map.png
Name of lower chamber # of representatives Length of term
Alabama House of Representatives 105 4
Alaska House of Representatives 40 2
Arizona House of Representatives 60 2
Arkansas House of Representatives 100 2
California State Assembly 80 2
Colorado House of Representatives 65 2
Connecticut House of Representatives 151 2
Delaware House of Representatives 41 2
Florida House of Representatives 120 2
Georgia House of Representatives 180 2
Hawaii House of Representatives 51 2
Idaho House of Representatives 70 2
Illinois House of Representatives 118 2
Indiana House of Representatives 100 2
Iowa House of Representatives 100 2
Kansas House of Representatives 125 2
Kentucky House of Representatives 100 2
Louisiana House of Representatives 105 4
Maine House of Representatives 151 2
Maryland House of Delegates 141 4
Massachusetts House of Representatives 160 2
Michigan House of Representatives 110 2
Minnesota House of Representatives 134 2
Mississippi House of Representatives 122 4
Missouri House of Representatives 163 2
Montana House of Representatives 100 2
Nevada State Assembly 42 2
New Hampshire House of Representatives 400 2
New Jersey General Assembly 80 2
New Mexico House of Representatives 70 2
New York State Assembly 150 2
North Carolina House of Representatives 120 2
North Dakota House of Representatives 94 4
Ohio House of Representatives 99 2
Oklahoma House of Representatives 101 2
Oregon House of Representatives 60 2
Pennsylvania House of Representatives 203 2
Rhode Island House of Representatives 75 2
South Carolina House of Representatives 124 2
South Dakota House of Representatives 70 2
Tennessee House of Representatives 99 2
Texas House of Representatives 150 2
Utah House of Representatives 75 2
Vermont House of Representatives 150 2
Virginia House of Delegates 100 2
Washington State House of Representatives 98 2
West Virginia House of Delegates 100 2
Wisconsin State Assembly 99 2
Wyoming House of Representatives 60 2

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Chart of states with term limits," accessed January 22, 2016
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