Impact of term limits on state senate elections in 2010

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See also: State senate elections and Impact of term limits on state legislative elections
Term limits and state legislatures
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for state-specific details:
Arizona • Arkansas • California
Colorado • Florida • Maine
Michigan • Missouri • Montana
Nebraska • Nevada • Ohio
Oklahoma • South Dakota
Impact on state representatives
State legislatures with term limits

15 state senates have term limits. 14 of these states held general elections for state senate seats on November 2, 2010, as did 29 state senates where there are no term limits on state senators.

Louisiana is the only state with state senate term limits that did not hold a general election for its state senate in 2010.

121 current state senators were ineligible to run for re-election in November because of term limit laws in their state. This included 54 incumbent Democratic state senators, 66 incumbent Republican state senators and 1 nonpartisan state senator.

The 121 state senators who were termed-out represented 36% of the 337 total state senate seats up for election in November in the 14 term-limited state senates with elections in 2010.

Differential impact on parties

Going into the November 2010 election, the Democratic Party was the majority party in 5 of the 14 state senates with term limits. The Republican Party was the majority party in 8 of the term-limited state senates. Nebraska's state senate is term-limited and officially nonpartisan.

  • In 7 states, the term limits axe fell more heavily on incumbent Republicans: Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and South Dakota. In all seven of these states, the current majority party was also the Republican Party.
  • In 4 states, the term limits axe fell more heavily on incumbent Democrats: Arkansas, Colorado, Nevada and Oklahoma. In three of these states, the current majority party was also the Democratic Party.
  • In 2 states, the axe fell equally on both parties (California and Maine).
  • The Oklahoma State Senate elections were in the only state where the minority party (the Democratic Party) lost more senators (4) than the majority party, the Republicans, who lost 2 senators.

Senates with elections

Note: The figures in Column 5 ("Seats impacted by term limits") only reflects current members of state senates who were unable to run for re-election to their state's senate in 2010 because of term limits. In some cases, including cases in Arizona, Colorado and Nevada, state senators who would have been unable to run for re-election in November resigned earlier in the year. Senators who resigned, and are not current members of their state senates, were not counted in these figures.

Senate with limits Majority party Seats in senate Up for election in 2010 Seats impacted by term limits Party with most losses
Arizona: (Senate), (2010 elections) Republican Party 30 30 4 Democratic Party + 6 Republican Party = 10 Republican Party
Arkansas: (Senate), (2010 elections) Democratic Party 35 17 12 Democratic Party + 1 Republican Party = 13 Democratic Party
California: (Senate), (2010 elections) Democratic Party 40 21 4 Democratic Party + 4 Republican Party = 8 Independent_American_Party
Colorado: (Senate), (2010 elections) Democratic Party 35 19 2 Democratic Party + 1 Republican Party = 3 Democratic Party
Florida: (Senate), (2010 elections) Republican Party 40 23 1 Democratic Party + 6 Republican Party = 7 Republican Party
Maine: (Senate), (2010 elections) Democratic Party 35 35 2 Democratic Party + 2 Republican Party = 4 Independent_American_Party
Michigan: (Senate), (2010 elections) Republican Party 38 38 12 Democratic Party + 17 Republican Party = 29 Republican Party
Missouri: (Senate), (2010 elections) Republican Party 34 17 2 Democratic Party + 8 Republican Party = 10 Republican Party
Montana: (Senate), (2010 elections) Republican Party 50 26 5 Democratic Party + 10 Republican Party = 15 Republican Party
Nebraska: (Senate), (2010 elections) Grey.png 49 24 Grey.png 1 NA
Nevada: (Senate), (2010 elections) Democratic Party 21 11 3 Democratic Party + 1 Republican Party = 4 Democratic Party
Ohio: (Senate), (2010 elections) Republican Party 33 17 2 Democratic Party + 5 Republican Party = 7 Republican Party
Oklahoma: (Senate), (2010 elections) Republican Party 48 24 4 Democratic Party + 2 Republican Party = 6 Democratic Party
South Dakota: (Senate), (2010 elections) Republican Party 35 35 1 Democratic Party + 3 Republican Party = 4 Republican Party
Totals: (5) Democratic Party (8) Republican Party (1) Grey.png 523 337 54 Democratic Party + 66 Republican Party + 1 Grey.png = 121 4 Democratic Party, 7 Republican Party, 2 Independent_American_Party

States




Republican Party Arizona

Arizona
See also: Arizona State Senate elections, 2010

All of Arizona's 30 state senate seats were up for election on November 2. Arizona senators serve two-year terms with a four-term/eight-year limit that was imposed by Proposition 107 in 1992. Arizona's term limits apply to parts of terms and not just full terms. One state senator in 2010, Albert Hale, was affected by this provision of Arizona's law.

In the 2010 state senate elections, ten senators who were first elected in 2002 (four Democratic state senators and six GOP state senators) cannot run for re-election.

An 11th individual, Jim Waring (R), was also ineligible to run again in 2010. However, he resigned his seat in the state senate on January 28, 2010 to run for the U.S. House seat vacated by Rep. John Shadegg[1]

In addition to the 10 state senators who left office because of Arizona's term limits, 13 state representatives were also termed-out.

Democrats (4)

Republicans (6):

Democratic Party Arkansas

Arkansas
See also: Arkansas State Senate elections, 2010

The Arkansas State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Arkansas voters approved the Arkansas Term Limits Initiative in 1992 as an initiated constitutional amendment.

There are 35 Arkansas State Senators. In 2010, 13 of them who are current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. They are:

Democrats (12):

Republicans (1):

Democratic Party California

California
See also: California State Senate elections

The California State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since California voters approved Proposition 140 in 1990. Under the terms of Proposition 140, California's senators can serve no more than two 4-year terms in the state senate. This is a lifetime limit, as is the case in five other states with state senatorial term limits.

There are 40 California State Senators. In 2010, 8 who were current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. They were:

Democrats (4):

Republicans (4):

Democratic Party Colorado

Colorado
See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2010

The Colorado State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Colorado voters approved Issue 5 in 1990. The affirmative vote by Colorado's electorate in Issue 5 altered Section 3 of Article V on the Colorado Constitution to say that Colorado State Senators could serve no more than two 4-year terms in office.

There are 35 Colorado State Senators. In 2010, 3 who were current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. Paula Sandoval also would have been ineligible to run, but she resigned earlier in the year.

The three current members of the state senate who were ineligible to run in November were:

Democrats (2):

Republicans (1):

Republican Party Florida

Florida
See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2010

The Florida State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Florida voters approved Amendment 9 in 1992. Amendment 9 altered Article VI, section 4 of the Florida Constitution to impose a maximum of two 4-year terms on Florida State Senators.

There are 40 Florida State Senators. In 2010, 7 who were current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. They were:

Democrats (1):

Republicans (6):

Democratic Party Maine

Maine
See also: Maine State Senate elections, 2010

The Maine State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Maine voters approved Question 1 in 1993. Under this law, state senators can serve no more than four consecutive 2-year terms. The Maine State Legislature tried, unsuccessfully, in 2007 to get the state's voters to extend the number of years they could consecutively serve in office by putting the Maine Term Limits Extension act on the ballot. Voters overwhelmingly (67-33%) rejected it.

There are 35 Maine State Senators. In 2010, 4 who were current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. They were:

Democrats (2):

Republicans (2):

Republican Party Michigan

Michigan
See also: Michigan State Senate elections, 2010

The Michigan State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Michigan voters approved Proposal B in 1992. Proposal B created Section 54 of Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, limiting state senators to 2 four-year terms. As with 5 other states, this is a lifetime limit.

There are 38 Michigan State Senators. In 2010, 25 who are current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November.[2] The turn-over due to term limits applies to more than 65% of the total membership of the state's senate in one election season.[3]

Democrats (19):

Republicans (6):

Republican Party Missouri

Missouri
See also: Missouri State Senate elections, 2010

The Missouri State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Missouri voters approved Amendment 12 in 1992. Amendment 12 created Section 8 of Article III of the Missouri Constitution, limiting state senators to 2 4-year terms. This is a lifetime limit, as is the case in 5 other states with state legislative term limits. Section 8 was later amended by Amendment 3 in 2002 so that it does not apply to partial terms.

Altogether, there are 34 Missouri State Senators. In 2010, 10 of them who were current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. They were:

Democrats (2):

Republicans (8):

Republican Party Montana

Montana
See also: Montana State Senate elections, 2010

The Montana State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Montana voters approved CI-64 in 1992. C-64 created Section 8 of Article IV of the Montana Constitution, which says that Montana State Senators cannot serve 8 or more years in any 16-year period as a state senator.

Altogether, there are 50 Montana State Senators. In 2010, 15 of them who were current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. They were:

Democrats (5):

Republicans (10):

Grey.png Nebraska

Nebraska
See also: Nebraska State Senate elections, 2010

The Nebraska State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Nebraska voters approved Initiative 415 (2000). Under the terms of Initiative 415, Nebraska's senators can serve no more than two consecutive 4-year terms in the state senate.

There are 49 Nebraska State Senators. In 2010, only one who was a current member was ineligible to run for the senate again in November:

Democratic Party Nevada

Nevada
See also: Nevada State Senate elections, 2010

2010 is the first year that some Nevada State Senators were ineligible to run for office because of the term limits law first passed in 1994.

Nevada voters approved Question 9A in 1996. Question 9A was a second vote on a term limits amendment first approved in 1994. Alone among the states with ballot initiatives, Nevada voters must approve a proposed constitutional amendment twice before it goes into the Nevada Constitution. The 1994 and 1996 votes cumulatively led to Paragraph 2 of Section 4 of Article 4 of the Nevada Constitution, which says, "No person may be elected or appointed as a Senator who has served in that Office, or at the expiration of his current term if he is so serving will have served, 12 years or more, from any district of this State."

Altogether, there are 21 Nevada State Senators. In 2010, five of them who were current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. In addition, two former Republican state senators (Mark Amodei and Randolph Townsend) who resigned earlier in 2010 are or would have been ineligible had they stayed in office.

Ineligible current state senators were:

Democrats (4):

Republicans (1):

Republican Party Ohio

Ohio
See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2010

The Ohio State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Ohio voters approved Ballot Issue 4, an initiated constitutional amendment, in 1992. This amendment became part of Section 2 of Article II of the Ohio Constitution and limits the amount of time that an Ohio State Senator can stay in office to two 4-year terms, saying, "No person shall hold the office of State Senator for a period longer than two successive terms of four years." Senators can run for office again after being out-of-office for at least a four-year period.

There are 33 Ohio State Senators. In 2010, seven of them who were current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. They were:

Democrats (2):

Republicans (5):

Republican Party Oklahoma

Oklahoma
See also: Oklahoma State Senate elections, 2010

The Oklahoma State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since Oklahoma voters approved State Question 632 in 1990, as an initiated constitutional amendment. This amendment became part of Section 17A of Article V of the Oklahoma Constitution and limits the amount of time that an Oklahoma State Senator can serve to a cumulative total of 12 years in either or both chambers of the Oklahoma State Legislature.

Altogether, there are 48 Oklahoma State Senators. In 2010, five of them who were current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. A sixth current state senator, Mary Easley, technically could have run again but because of the timing of when she first began to serve in the state legislature, she could only hold office for four months. Thus, she is included in a list below of six members who are affected by term limits in this year's senate elections:

Democrats (4):

Republicans (2):

Republican Party South Dakota

South Dakota
See also: South Dakota State Senate elections, 2010

The South Dakota State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since South Dakota voters approved Ballot Issue A in 1992, an initiated constitutional amendment. This amendment became part of Section 6 of Article III of the South Dakota Constitution and limits the amount of time that a South Dakota State Senator can stay in office to no more than four consecutive 2-year terms.

The South Dakota State Legislature has tried on more than one occasion, each time unsuccessfully, to persuade the state's voters to repeal term limits. The most recent such failed attempt was when Amendment J lost in 2008 by 75-25%.

Altogether, there are 35 South Dakota State Senators. In 2010, four of them who were current members were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. They were:

Democrats (1):

Republicans (3):

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ KSWT "Waring quits Arizona Senate to run for Congress," January 28, 2010
  2. ↑ Governing, "The Michigan Senate's Term Limits Madness," June 14, 2010
  3. ↑ Stateline, "Term limits will create rookie league in some legislatures," June 11, 2010
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