Length of terms of state senators

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The length of terms in state senates in the 50 American state senates is either two years or four years.

Senators in 30 states have a four-year term. Senators in 12 states have a two-year term. Senators in eight states (Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey and Texas) have terms that are sometimes two years and sometimes four years, depending on the proximity of the election to the legislative re-apportionments that occur every 10 years after a federal census. A system with senators who serve one two-year term and two four-year terms every ten years is considered a 2-4-4 term system.

See also: Length of terms of state representatives

Length of terms

  • In the 12 states where the length of the term is two years, all state senate seats are up for re-election every two years.
  • Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont
  • In the 38 states with either a four-year term or a 2-4-4 term, 27 states have staggered elections so that approximately half of state senate seats are up for re-election during the state's general elections that take place every two years.
  • Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
  • In the 11 other states where the term is either four years or a 2-4-4, all seats come up for re-election during the same year. In those states, there are general election years where no state senate seats are at stake.
  • Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, Virginia

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, senators are divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms. Depending on the election year, roughly ⅓, ⅔, or all of the senate seats may have terms ending.
  2. ↑ Arkansas Constitution, "Article 5, Section 3," accessed March 3, 2023
  3. ↑ The Delaware Code Online, "Title 29, Chapter 8, Statute 806," accessed March 3, 2023
  4. ↑ Florida State Senate, "Staggered Term Schedule," accessed March 3, 2023
  5. ↑ Hawaii Legislative Reference Bureau, "Article IV - Reapportionment," accessed March 3, 2023
  6. ↑ Constitution of the State of Illinois, "Article 4," accessed March 3, 2023
  7. ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas senators draw lots to determine how long their terms will be," January 11, 2023
  8. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Chart of states with term limits," accessed January 22, 2016
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