U.S. Term Limits
menu
  • Donate
  • PODCAST
    • Latest Podcast Episodes
    • No Uncertain Terms Podcast Library
  • Get Involved
    • Candidate / Legislator Pledge
      • I am Running for Congress
      • I am Running for State Legislature
    • Supporter petition
    • Collect Petitions
    • Volunteer for USTL
    • Digital Toolkit
    • Get Pledges on Facebook
    • Events
    • State Facebook Pages
    • Take Action on Term Limits Day 2/27
  • Current Actions
    • Contact Your State Legislator
    • Contact your Congress members
    • 2023 Bills in Progress
    • National Call to Action for Term Limits on Congress
  • News
    • USTL Blog Articles
    • No Uncertain Terms Newsletter
    • Term Limits Breaking News Episode Library
    • Press Releases
    • Pledge Press Releases
    • Press Contact
  • Term Limits
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Why Term Limits?
    • Term Limits Research Library
    • USTL Term Limits Resolutions in Congress
    • Historical TL 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
    • County Resolution On Article V Term Limits Convention (SAMPLE)
    • Model Article V Term Limits Convention Application
    • Progress Map
    • 118th Congress Pledge Signers
    • 2023 A5 State Pledge Signers
  • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Team
    • USTL State Chairs
    • Rense Johnson
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Book a Term Limits Speaker
    • Contact USTL
  • Facts
    • Myth-Busting 101: “Congress Will Never Vote to Term Limit Itself”
    • Term Limits ARE NOT Elections!
    • Lobbyists HATE term limits
    • Dispelling the runaway myth
    • Debunking Myths Against an Article V Convention and Term Limits for Congress
    • Term limits decrease bureaucracy
  • Search
  • More
    • Contact Us
    • SHOP
    • Social Media
    • Archive

The Mid-term Election Was an Incumbent Tsunami


November 16, 2022

by Stacey Selleck

For anyone who still believes “We have term limits, they’re called elections,” let me draw your attention to Exhibit A, the outcome of the midterm elections. 98% of the incumbents on the ballot won re-election. If that doesn’t sink in, let’s rephrase it. Just 2% of the challengers with an incumbent in the race emerged victorious. Just two percent! Let that sink in.

Let’s also add the fact that Congress has just a 20% approval rating, which is much higher than its usual single digit percentage. With statistics like that, it is impossible to back up the statement that “elections equal term limits.” It is simply untrue.

Don’t believe me? Even the New York Times wrote about it. According to the article, entitled, “Despite Discontent, Midterm Voters Did Not Kick Out Incumbents,” of the 365 House districts in which an incumbent faced re-election, only six Democrats lost their seats as of November 16th. On the Republican side, there were only three incumbents who lost their seats.

In the U.S. Senate, the numbers were even more dismal. At the time of this writing, of the races with an incumbent and where a victor emerged, 100% of the current senators won re-election. 100%!

When 98% of the Congress gets re-elected when the people are crying for change, you have to say the system is broken and it’s time for a change.

This is the best argument FOR term limits. Incumbents have so much advantage that they cruise back into office without having real approval by the voters. What this proves is that if you’re an incumbent, you win automatically. You don’t even have to try.

The only way we ever get to see new faces and bring in new ideas is if a seated politician runs for another office, resigns, retires, dies or goes to prison. That leaves an open seat, basically the only chance for a non-incumbent may be assured victory.

This is not an anamoly. Incumbent re-election rates always approach 95%. This election was no different and the results speak for themselves. They are proof positive that term limits is the only way to guarantee open seat opportunities at regular intervals.

Filed Under: Blog

  • ABOUT
  • PODCAST
  • BLOG
  • PETITION
  • CONTACT US
  • DONATE
Subscribe to our email list
Copyright © 2023 US Term Limits - All Rights Reserved

by U.S. Term Limits



Privacy Policy
1250 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 700
Washington, D.C.20036
(202) 261-3532