Did You Know: Term Limits

Term limits: a statutory restriction on the number of terms an official or officeholder may serve.

On Nov. 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 unexpired terms at the time of the partial service provision’s 2002 passage would still have to count their partial service as full terms in term-limit calculations.


District Senator First Elected* Party Ineligible for Re-Election Notes
1st Scott Sifton 2012 D 2020  
2nd Bob Onder 2014 R 2022  
3rd Gary Romine 2012 R 2020  
4th Karla May 2018 D 2026  
5th Jamilah Nasheed 2012 D 2020  
6th Mike Bernskoetter 2018 R 2026  
7th Jason Holsman 2012 D 2020  
8th Mike Cierpiot November 2017 R 2026 3
9th Shalonn “Kiki” Curls February 2011 D 2020 1
10th Jeanie Riddle 2014 R 2022  
11th John Rizzo 2016 D 2024  
12th Dan Hegeman 2014 R 2022  
13th Gina Walsh 2012 D 2020  
14th Brian Williams 2018 D 2026  
15th Andrew Koenig 2016 R 2024  
16th Justin Brown 2018 R 2026  
17th Lauren Arthur June 2018 D 2026 4
18th Cindy O’Laughlin 2018 R 2026  
19th Caleb Rowden 2016 R 2024  
20th Eric Burlison 2018 R 2026  
21st Denny Hoskins 2016 R 2024  
22nd Paul Wieland 2014 R 2022  
23rd Bill Eigel 2016 R 2024  
24th Jill Schupp 2014 D 2022  
25th Doug Libla 2012 R 2020  
26th Dave Schatz 2014 R 2022  
27th Wayne Wallingford 2012 R 2020  
28th Sandy Crawford August 2017 R 2026  2
29th David Sater 2012 R 2020  
30th Lincoln Hough 2018 R 2026  
31st Ed Emery 2012 R 2020  
32nd Bill White 2018 R 2026  
33rd Mike Cunningham 2012 R 2020  
34th Tony Luetkemeyer 2018 R 2026  

* Entries with a month denotes special elections

  1. Senator Shalonn “Kiki” Curls won a February 2011 special election to complete a vacated term of less than two years. As Sen. Curls served less than half of her first vacated term, she was able to run for re-election again in 2012 and was successful. She also won re-election in 2016.
  2. Senator Sandy Crawford won a August 2017 special election to complete a vacated term of fewer than two years. She was able to run for a full term in 2018 and was successful.
  3. Senator Mike Cierpiot won a November 2017 special election to complete a vacated term of fewer than two years. He was able to run for a full term in 2018 and was successful.
  4. Senator Lauren Arthur won a June 2018 special election to complete a vacated term of more than two years. She will be able to run for a full term in 2020.
 
Missouri Constitution
Article III – Legislative Department
Section 8 – Term limitations for members of the General Assembly

Term limits language as originally adopted November 3, 1992

No one shall be elected or appointed to serve more than eight years total in any one house of the General Assembly nor more than sixteen years total in both houses of the General Assembly. In applying this section, service in the General Assembly resulting from an election or appointment prior to the effective date of this section shall not be counted.

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

No one shall be elected to serve more than eight years total in any one house of the General Assembly nor more than sixteen years total in both houses of the General Assembly. In applying this section, service in the General Assembly resulting from an election prior to December 3, 1992, or service of less than one year, in the case of a member of the house of representatives, or two years, in the case of a member of the senate, by a person elected after the effective date of this section to complete the term of another person, shall not be counted.
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