Impact of term limits on state executive elections in 2020

2020 state-level election analysis

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State executives
Annual Competitiveness Report
Partisan balance of governors
Impact of term limits
Gubernatorial and presidential split-ticket states
Gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections
Battleground polls

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Statewide analysis
State government trifectas
Trifecta vulnerability
State government triplexes
Officials seeking other offices
Incumbent win rates
Noteworthy third party candidates

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Other 2020 analysis
Federal election analysis
Local election analysis

Of the 171 state executive offices on the ballot in 2020, 47 of them were represented by incumbents who were subject to term limits. Eleven of those incumbents were ineligible to run for re-election in 2020 due to term limits. This represented 6.4 percent of the total seats up for election in 2020.

HIGHLIGHTS

* A total of four Democrats and five Republicans were term-limited in 2020. The other two term-limited officials were nonpartisan.

* Of the 29 states with state executive offices on the ballot in 2020, eight of them had term-limited officials. Montana had the most with four.

## Contents

* 1 Term-limited state executives by state
* 2 Term-limited state executives by position
* 3 Differential impact on parties
* 4 Term-limited elections by state
* 5 Alabama
* 6 Arizona
* 7 Colorado
* 8 Delaware
* 9 Georgia
* 10 Hawaii
* 11 Indiana
* 12 Kansas
* 13 Louisiana
* 14 Michigan
* 15 Missouri
* 16 Montana
* 17 Nebraska
* 18 Nevada
* 19 New Mexico
* 20 North Carolina
* 21 Ohio
* 22 Oklahoma
* 23 Oregon
* 24 Pennsylvania
* 25 South Dakota
* 26 West Virginia
* 26.1 See also
* 26.2 Footnotes

## Term-limited state executives by state[edit]

The map below displays the 36 states that had laws limiting the number of terms state executive officials could serve as of 2020. Of those states, only 22 states held elections in 2020.

* Montana had the most state executive officials term-limited in the 2020 elections with four officials. Seven states—Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania—had one term-limited official each.

* Fourteen states with state executive term limits had no officials term-limited in 2020. This included the following states: Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and West Virginia.

## Term-limited state executives by position[edit]

The 11 termed-out incumbents in 2020 held nine different offices: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor, public service commissioner, corporation commissioner, board of education member, board of regents member, and public regulation commissioner.

The 11 termed-out incumbents were from eight states. Three states were controlled by a Democratic trifecta, two by a Republican trifecta, and three states were under a divided government. A state government trifecta exists when one political party holds the governor's office and majority control in both chambers of the state legislature. As of July 2020, there were 21 states with Republican trifectas, 15 states with Democratic trifectas, and 14 states under divided government.

2020 breakdown by position

Position | Number of term-limited officeholders |  Democrats |  Republicans |  Other
Agriculture Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Attorney General | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0
Auditor | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0
Board of Education | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1
Board of Equalization | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Board of Regents | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1
Comptroller/Controller | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Corporation Commissioner | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0
Governor | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0
Insurance Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Labor Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Land Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Lieutenant Governor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0
Public Service/Regulation Commissioner | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0
Secretary of State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Superintendent of Schools | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Transportation Commissioner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Treasurer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
Total | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2

## Differential impact on parties[edit]

Term limits create open seats, which can impact the competitiveness of state executive elections. A total of 171 state executive offices were on the ballot in 2020, and 47 of those offices were subject to term limits. Out of those 47 offices, 11 featured an open seat since the incumbent was term-limited.

2020 term-limited state executive elections

State | Trifecta status[1] |  Democrats |  Republicans |  Other | # of seats with term limits | % of seats term-limited in 2020
Alabama | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0%
Arizona | Republican | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 33.3%
Colorado | Democratic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 16.6%
Delaware | Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0%
Georgia | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0%
Hawaii | Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0%
Indiana | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0%
Kansas | Divided government | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0%
Louisiana | Divided government | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0%
Michigan | Divided government | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0%
Missouri | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0%
Montana | Divided government | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 44.4%
Nebraska | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0%
Nevada | Democratic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 25%
New Mexico | Democratic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 50%
North Carolina | Divided government | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 50%
Ohio | Republican | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 16.6%
Oklahoma | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0%
Oregon | Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0%
Pennsylvania | Divided government | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 33.3%
South Dakota | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0%
West Virginia | Republican | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0%
Total | \
 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 47 | 26%

## Term-limited elections by state[edit]

# Alabama[edit]

See also: Alabama state executive official elections, 2020

Five state executive seats in Alabama were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Arizona[edit]

See also: Arizona state executive official elections, 2020

Three state executive seats in Arizona were up for election in 2020. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.

* Corporation Commissioner Robert Burns (R)

# Colorado[edit]

See also: Colorado state executive official elections, 2020

Six state executive seats in Colorado were up for election in 2020. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.

* State Board of Education - District 7 - Jane Goff (D)

# Delaware[edit]

See also: Delaware state executive official elections, 2020

Three state executive seats in Delaware were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Georgia[edit]

See also: Georgia state executive official elections, 2020

Two state executive seats in Georgia were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Hawaii[edit]

See also: Hawaii state executive official elections, 2020

Four state executive seats in Hawaii were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Indiana[edit]

See also: Indiana state executive official elections, 2020

Three state executive seats in Indiana were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Kansas[edit]

See also: Kansas state executive official elections, 2020

Five state executive seats in Kansas were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Louisiana[edit]

See also: Louisiana state executive official elections, 2020

Two state executive seats in Louisiana were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Michigan[edit]

See also: Michigan state executive official elections, 2020

Eight state executive seats in Michigan were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Missouri[edit]

See also: Missouri state executive official elections, 2020

Five state executive seats in Missouri were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Montana[edit]

See also: Montana state executive official elections, 2020

Nine state executive seats in Montana were up for election in 2020. Four officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

* Gov. Steve Bullock (D)
* Attorney Gen. Tim Fox (R)
* Public Service Commissioner Roger Koopman (R)
* Public Service Commissioner Bob Lake (R)

# Nebraska[edit]

See also: Nebraska state executive official elections, 2020

Seven state executive seats in Nebraska were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Nevada[edit]

See also: Nevada state executive official elections, 2020

Eight state executive seats in Nevada were up for election in 2020. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.

* Board of Regents - District 3 - Kevin Page (nonpartisan)

# New Mexico[edit]

See also: New Mexico state executive official elections, 2020

Seven state executive seats in New Mexico were up for election in 2020. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.

* Public Regulation Commission - District 3 - Valerie Espinoza (D)

# North Carolina[edit]

See also: North Carolina state executive official elections, 2020

Ten state executive seats in North Carolina were up for election in 2020. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.

* Lt. Gov. Dan Forest (R)

# Ohio[edit]

See also: Ohio state executive official elections, 2020

Six state executive seats in Ohio were up for election in 2020. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.

* State Board of Education - District 9 - Stephanie Dodd (nonpartisan)

# Oklahoma[edit]

See also: Oklahoma state executive official elections, 2020

One state executive seat in Oklahoma was up for election in 2020. No official was ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Oregon[edit]

See also: Oregon state executive official elections, 2020

Three state executive seats in Oregon were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

# Pennsylvania[edit]

See also: Pennsylvania state executive official elections, 2020

Three state executive seats in Pennsylvania were up for election in 2020. One official was ineligible to run because of term limits.

* Auditor Eugene DePasquale (D)

# South Dakota[edit]

See also: South Dakota state executive official elections, 2020

One state executive seat in South Dakota was up for election in 2020. No official was ineligible to run because of term limits.

# West Virginia[edit]

See also: West Virginia state executive official elections, 2020

Six state executive seats in West Virginia were up for election in 2020. No officials were ineligible to run because of term limits.

## See also[edit]

* State executive official elections, 2020
* State executives with term limits
* Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2020
* Term limits on the ballot
* Term limits in the United States
* Impact of term limits on state executive elections in 2021

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ A state's trifecta status was current as of the 2020 election.

v • e

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American Samoa • Delaware • Indiana • Missouri • Montana • New Hampshire • North Carolina • North Dakota • Puerto Rico • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia

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