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Term Limits on Governor


36 states have term limits on their governors imposed at the founding of their respective state constitutions. Term limits on governors are a common and effective check and balance in statewide governance. Historically, in the 34 states with term limits, every gubernatorial election has been contested.

Vermont and New Hampshire do not impose term limits on their governor, however, they are the only states where the terms are just two years as opposed to the four year terms typical of most other states. The most common limit is two-consecutive, four year terms. The only state with a one-term lifetime limit is Virginia.

Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad holds the record for longest “serving” governor in U.S. history with a combined 24 years (six, four-year terms) in office.

Gubernatorial Term Limits

StatesTerm Limits
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia2 consecutive 4-year terms
Indiana, Wyoming, Oregon2 consecutive 4-year terms, 1 term pause
Montana2 consecutive 4-year terms, 2 term pause
Arkansas, California, Delaware, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma2 four-year terms a lifetime
Virginia1 four-year term
Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsinno term limits (NH and VT have unlimited 2 year terms, the remainder have unlimited 4 year terms)
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  • PODCAST
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  • Myths
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    • Myth-Busting 101: “Congress Will Never Vote to Term Limit Itself”
    • Elections ARE Term Limits!
    • Lobbyists LOVE term limits
    • Dispelling the runaway myth
    • Debunking Myths Against an Article V Convention and Term Limits for Congress
  • News
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    • Press Releases
    • Pledge Press Releases
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  • Term Limits
    ▼
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Why Term Limits?
    • Term Limits Research Library
    • USTL Term Limits Resolutions in Congress
    • State Term Limits Initiatives Since 2012
    • State legislatures with term limits
    • Governors with term limits
    • Nine of the ten largest U.S. cities have term limits
    • Term Limits Election Results (includes local) Since 2008
    • Term Limits Hall of Fame
  • Article V
    ▼
    • Term Limits Elected Office Pledge
    • Sign the Supporter Petition
    • About Article V
    • Term Limits Amendment
    • Model Article V Term Limits Convention Application
    • Progress Map
    • 117th Congress Pledge Signers
    • 2021 State Legislator Pledge Signers
  • Take Action
    ▼
    • State Resolutions: Take Action Now
    • Candidate / Legislator Pledge
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    • Collect Petitions
    • Volunteer for USTL
    • Digital Toolkit
    • Get Pledges on Facebook
    • Weekly Facebook Live Chat
    • Events
    • State Facebook Pages
    • Take Action on Term Limits Day 2/27
  • Current Actions
    ▼
    • Contact Your State Legislator
    • Contact your Congress members
    • WEST PALM 2021 TERM LIMITS DAY 2/27
    • Take Action in Your State
    • School Board Member Term Limits in Florida
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    ▼
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