Missouri State Senate
Term Limits

(Updated October, 2007)

On November 3, 1992, Missouri voters approved by a margin of 75 percent an amendment to the state's constitution (Article III, Section 8) limiting the years a legislator may serve in the General Assembly. Prior to this provision, Missouri had no legislative term limits.

As originally adopted, the amendment limited the service of individuals elected to the General Assembly to a maximum of eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives and eight years in the Missouri Senate. The amendment also excluded from term-limit calculations any legislative service initiated from elections held prior to the original term limits effective date of December 3, 1992.

In 2002, voters amended the term limit provision (Article III, Section 8) to allow those filling seats vacated after a term's midpoint the opportunity to subsequently run for up to four complete two-year House terms and/or up to two complete four-year Senate terms. Prior to this provision, any partial service counted as a full term, effectively becoming the first of four possible two-year House terms and/or the first of two possible four-year Senate terms.

Lawmakers completing un-expired terms at the time of the partial service provision's 2002 passage must still count their partial service as full terms in term-limit calculations. Senator Victor Callahan was the first Senate member able to exclude partial service from his term limit calculation.

In the Senate, term limits rendered three members ineligible to run for Senate re-election in 2006. Four current members are ineligible to run for Senate re-election in 2008.

These numbers are subject to change as members may resign, retire or be defeated at their next election.


DistrictNameElectedPartyIneligible
to Run In
Notes
1stHarry KennedyDec., 2001D20081
2ndScott T. RuppApril, 2006R20142
3rdKevin Engler2004R2012
4thJeff Smith2006D2014
5thMaida ColemanFeb., 2002D20083
6thCarl Vogel2002R2010
7thJohn Loudon2000R2008
8thMatt Bartle2002R2010
9thYvonne Wilson2004D2012
10thJolie Justus2006D2014
11thVictor CallahanNov., 2003D20124
12thBrad Lager2006R2014
13thTim Green2004D2012
14thRita Days2002D2010
15thMichael Gibbons2000R2008
16thFrank BarnitzApril, 2005D2014
17thLuann Ridgeway2004R2012
18thWes Shoemyer2006D2014
19thChuck Graham2004D2012
20thDan Clemens2002R2010
21stBill Stouffer2004R2012
22ndRyan McKenna2006D2014
23rdTom DempseySept., 2007R20165
24thJoan Bray2002D2010
25thRob Mayer2004R2012
26thJohn Griesheimer2002R2010
27thJason Crowell2004R2012
28thDelbert Scott2002R2010
29thJack GoodmanNov., 2005R20126
30thNorma Champion2002R2010
31stChris Koster2004D**2012
32ndGary Nodler2002R2010
33rdChuck Purgason2004R2012
34thCharlie Shields2002R2010
* Entries with a month denote special elections
** Sen. Koster joined the Senate as a Republican and became a Democrat in August of 2007.

Notes:

1) Senator Harry Kennedy completed more than half of a partial term before winning re-election to a full term in 2004, when all 17 odd-numbered districts were up for election. (Even if his partial-term service were less than half of a full four-year term, the partial term exclusion still would not apply as Sen. Kennedy was in office during the provision's passage.)

2) Senator Scott T. Rupp and Senator Frank Barnitz each won special elections to complete vacated terms of less than two years. Having since won elections to full four-year terms in 2006, they can stand for re-election again in 2010.

3) Senator Maida Coleman completed more than half of a partial term before winning re-election to a full term in 2004, when all 17 odd-numbered districts were up for election. (Even if her partial-term service were less than half of a full four-year term, the partial term exclusion still would not apply as Sen. Coleman was in office during the provision's passage.)

4) Senator Victor Callahan was the first member following the 2002 passage of the partial term provision elected to a seat vacated after the term's midpoint. Having won election to a full term in 2004, Sen. Callahan could run for re-election once more in 2008.

5) Senator Chuck Gross resigned his Senate seat in May of 2007 for a post in the private sector. September 2007 special election winner Tom Dempsey could run for re-election to a full four-year term in November of 2008; and, if victorious then, could run for a second four-year term in 2012.

6) Senator Jack Goodman was first elected in a November 2005 special election held to fill the seat vacated by the July 2005 passing of Senator Larry Gene Taylor. As Sen. Goodman will be serving more than half of the late Sen. Taylor's un-expired four-year term, Sen. Goodman will only be eligible to run once (in 2008) for re-election to the Senate.

Missouri Constitution

Article III - Legislative Department

Section 8 - Term limitations for members of General Assembly.

Term limits language as originally adopted November 3, 1992

Current term limits language as amended November 5, 2002, to include the partial service provision.

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