Length of terms of state senators

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The length of terms in state senates in the 50 American state senates is either two years or four years.

Senators in 30 states have a four-year term. Senators in 12 states have a two-year term. Senators in eight states (Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey and Texas) have terms that are sometimes two years and sometimes four years, depending on the proximity of the election to the legislative re-apportionments that occur every 10 years after a federal census. A system with senators who serve one two-year term and two four-year terms every ten years is considered a 2-4-4 term system.

See also: Length of terms of state representatives

Length of terms

  • In the 12 states where the length of the term is two years, all state senate seats are up for re-election every two years.
  • Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont
  • In the 38 states with either a four-year term or a 2-4-4 term, 27 states have staggered elections so that approximately half of state senate seats are up for re-election during the state's general elections that take place every two years.
  • Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
  • In the 11 other states where the term is either four years or a 2-4-4, all seats come up for re-election during the same year. In those states, there are general election years where no state senate seats are at stake.
  • Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, Virginia
State senate # of senators Length of term Conduct of elections
Alabama State Senate 35 4 All seats are up for re-election in 2010, 2014, 2018, etc.
Alaska State Senate 20 4 Staggered
Arizona State Senate 30 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Arkansas State Senate 35 2-4-4 Staggered
California State Senate 40 4 Staggered
Colorado State Senate 35 4 Staggered
Connecticut State Senate 36 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Delaware State Senate 21 2-4-4 Staggered
Florida State Senate 40 2-4-4 Staggered
Georgia State Senate 56 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Hawaii State Senate 25 2-4-4 Staggered
Idaho State Senate 35 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Illinois State Senate 59 2-4-4[1] Staggered
Indiana State Senate 50 4 Staggered
Iowa State Senate 50 4 Staggered
Kansas State Senate 40 4 All seats are up for election in 2008, 2012, 2016...
Kentucky State Senate 38 4 Staggered
Louisiana State Senate 39 4 All seats are up for election in 2011, 2015, 2019...
Maine State Senate 35 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Maryland State Senate 47 4 All seats are up for election in 2010, 2014, 2018, etc.
Massachusetts State Senate 40 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Michigan State Senate 38 4 All seats are up for election in 2010, 2014, 2018, etc.
Minnesota State Senate 67 2-4-4 All seats are up for election in 2010, 2012, 2016...
Mississippi State Senate 52 4 All seats are up for election in 2007, 2011, 2015...
Missouri State Senate 34 4 Staggered
Montana State Senate 50 4 Staggered
Nebraska State Senate 49 4 Staggered
Nevada State Senate 21 4 Staggered
New Hampshire State Senate 24 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
New Jersey State Senate 40 2-4-4 All seats are up for election in 2011, 2013, 2017, 2021...
New Mexico State Senate 42 4 All seats are up for election in 2008, 2012, 2016...
New York State Senate 63 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
North Carolina State Senate 50 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
North Dakota State Senate 47 4 Staggered
Ohio State Senate 33 4 Staggered
Oklahoma State Senate 48 4 Staggered
Oregon State Senate 30 4 Staggered
Pennsylvania State Senate 50 4 Staggered
Rhode Island State Senate 38 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
South Carolina State Senate 46 4 All seats are up for election in 2008, 2012, 2016...
South Dakota State Senate 35 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Tennessee State Senate 33 4 Staggered
Texas State Senate 31 2-4-4 Staggered
Utah State Senate 29 4 Staggered
Vermont State Senate 30 2 All seats up for re-election every 2 years
Virginia State Senate 40 4 All seats are up for re-election in 2007, 2011, 2015...
Washington State Senate 49 4 Staggered
West Virginia State Senate 34 4 Staggered
Wisconsin State Senate 33 4 Staggered
Wyoming State Senate 30 4 Staggered

Determining term lengths after redistricting

Following redistricting, states holding staggered elections where senators serve 2-4-4 terms must determine when senators serve their two-year terms. Here's how each state handles that selection:

  • Arkansas: State senators draw random lots. Half serve a two-year term immediately, while the other half serve a four-year term.[2]
  • Delaware: Specific districts follow either a 4-4-2 or 2-4-4 schedule. The state has used the same schedule since 1980.[3]
  • Florida: Odd-numbered districts are up for election in even years that are multiples of four, and even-numbered districts are up in even years that are not multiples of four.[4]
  • Hawaii: During the redistricting process, the redistricting commission selects 12 districts that will serve a two-year term to start the decade. The other 13 districts serve regular four-year terms.[5]
  • Illinois: At the beginning of the first legislative session after redistricting, the legislature passes a bill dividing the districts into three groups: the first is elected to 4-4-2 year terms, the second is elected to 4-2-4 year terms, and the third is elected to 2-4-4 year terms.[6]
  • Texas: State senators draw random lots. Half serve a two-year term immediately, while the other half serve a four-year term.[7]

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.[8]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, senators are divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms. Depending on the election year, roughly ⅓, ⅔, or all of the senate seats may have terms ending.
  2. ↑ Arkansas Constitution, "Article 5, Section 3," accessed March 3, 2023
  3. ↑ The Delaware Code Online, "Title 29, Chapter 8, Statute 806," accessed March 3, 2023
  4. ↑ Florida State Senate, "Staggered Term Schedule," accessed March 3, 2023
  5. ↑ Hawaii Legislative Reference Bureau, "Article IV - Reapportionment," accessed March 3, 2023
  6. ↑ Constitution of the State of Illinois, "Article 4," accessed March 3, 2023
  7. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas senators draw lots to determine how long their terms will be," January 11, 2023
  8. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Chart of states with term limits," accessed January 22, 2016
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