2012 ELECTION RESULTS: Americans speak with one voice on term limits

Is it fair to call a 97% victory a mandate for term limits?

For all the talk of bitterness, polarization and division in what turned out to be an electoral muddle, voters in red and blue states across the nation united on Nov. 6 in their decisive support of term limits in both small-town and statewide referenda.

We’ve uncovered 91 jurisdictions so far where term limits appeared on the ballot – either calling for new limits or defending existing ones from politicians’ attacks – and term limits won in 88, or 97%, of them.

As lopsided as it is, even this figure obscures the magnitude of the victory for term limits nationwide. After all, victories included voters establishing 8-year term limits in Florida’s mammoth Miami-Dade County, Nebraska voters statewide fending off a legislative attack on their popular 8-year term limits law, and school board term limits being established in 67 Louisiana parishes in 67 separate referenda. Losses were limited to term limits being lifted on the coroner and sheriff in Delta County, Colorado, and weakening existing city council term limits in Hammond, Louisiana.

The election results conform with election results in 2010 and 2008 as well as recent national polling suggesting that some 70-83 percent of Americans support term limits on their elected officials.

These are the referenda we were following this year. If you know of any others please let us know and we’ll update the list.

BROOKSVILLE, FL -- Weaken 8-year term city council limits
28% YES
72% NO -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

BUELLTON, CA -- Place term limits on city council
YES 77% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 23%

CANFIELD CITY, OH -- Place term limits on city council
YES 61% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 39%

CANFIELD CITY, OH -- Places term limits on mayor
YES 58% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 42%

WEST VIRGINIA (STATEWIDE) -- Repeal sheriff term limits
YES 47%
NO 53% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

COLUMBIA COUNTY, GA -- Places 8-year term limits on county commission
YES 86% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 14%

DELTA COUNTY, CO -- Repeal sheriff term limits
YES 73% -- TERM LIMITS LOSE
NO 27%

DELTA COUNTY, CO -- Repeal coronor term limits
YES 81% -- TERM LIMITS LOSE
NO 19%

DUNEDIN, FL -- Places 8-year term limits on mayor and city council
YES 70% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 30%

EL PASO COUNTY, CO -- Restoring 8-year county commission term limits, reverses deceptive 2010 referenda
YES 58% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 42%

HAMMOND, LA -- Adds an additional term for city council
YES 58% -- TERM LIMITS LOSE
NO 42%

HERMOSA CLIFF, CO -- Repeal term limits for board of directors
YES 47%
NO 53% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

JOHNSTOWN, RI -- Places 8-year term limits on mayor
YES 72% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 28%

KETTERING, OH -- Places 8-year term limits on city council, mayor
YES 62% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 38%

KNOX COUNTY, TN -- Conforms commission district and commission at large seats under
term limits law
YES 86% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 14%

LOMBARD, IL -- Places term limits on all village officers
YES 81% -- TERM LIMITS WIN
NO 19%

LOUSIANA (67 individual districts) -- Places term limits on local school boards
YES 70-85% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 15-30%

MANSFIELD, OH -- Abolishes term limits for elected officials
YES 72%
NO 73% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL -- Establish 8-year county commission term limits
YES 77% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 23%

NEBRASKA (STATEWIDE) -- Add extra term for state senators
YES 35%
NO 65% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

OAKRIDGE, OR -- Places 8-year term limits on city council
YES 71% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 29%

SAN JOAQUIN, CA -- Allow for a third term for Board of Supervisors
YES 41%
NO 59% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

SANTA ANA, CA -- Place 8-year term limits on city mayor
YES 77% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 23%

THOUSAND OAKS, CA -- Places term limits on the city council
YES 78% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 22%

TINLEY PARK, IL -- Advisory Measure to term limit village board
YES 71% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 28%

2010 ELECTIONS -- Citizens embrace term limits nationwide, Congressional pledgers win

It was another banner election year for term limits.

Across the nation on Nov. 2, voters approved new term limits or defended or strengthened existing ones at the state and local level. Plus, about a dozen signers of the U.S. Term Limits Amendment Pledge won their Congressional races and will be pushing for term limits in the new Congress.

By signing the U.S. Term Limits Amendment Pledge, Congress members committed to "cosponsor and vote for" Congressional term limits along the lines of Sen. Jim DeMint's existing term limits amendment bill. DeMint's bill calls for limits of three terms (six years) for the House and two (12 years) for the Senate.

Signers who won include Dave Schweikert (AZ-5), David Rivera (FL-25), Michael Pompeo (KS-4), John Sullivan (OK-1), Frank Lucas (OK-3), Tom Coburn (OK-SEN), Tim Scott (SC-1), Jeff Duncan (SC-3), Mick Mulvaney (SC-5) and Ralph Hall (TX-4). Two races involving term limits pledgers have not been decided as of this writing, Joe Walsh (IL-8) and Rocky Raczkowski (MI-9).

Of all the 2010 term limits referenda I know about, term limits won 34 out of 35 jurisdictions. (If any referenda escaped my notice, please let me know.) Interestingly, this is a similar result as 2008, an election in which Democrats were ascendant.

2010 TERM LIMITS REFERENDA RESULTS

DOWNER'S GROVE, IL -- Referendum to limit mayor to two 4-year terms and commissioners to three (advisory only)
YES 84% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 16%

BOULDER CITY, NV -- Limits city council members to three terms in office
YES 71% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 29%

BOULDER CITY, NV -- Limits appointees of city committees to three terms
YES 60% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 40%

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL -- Limits terms of mayor and council members to two consecutive 4-year terms
YES 69.5% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 30.50%

CHAFFEE COUNTY, CO -- Would eliminate the term limit on the district attorney
YES 41%
NO 59% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

CLINTON COUNTY, VT -- Would abolish term limits for Clinton County legislators
YES 28.46%
NO 71.54% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX -- Increases waiting time from two to six years for politicians termed out of office to run again for the same seat
YES 63% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 37%

EAGLE COUNTY, CO -- Weakens term limits from two to three 4-year terms
YES 31%
NO 69% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

EL PASO COUNTY, CO -- Weakens term limits from two to three 4-year terms
YES 60%
NO 40% -- TERM LIMITS LOSE

FARRAGUT, TN -- Limits official to two terms in a single office, three in any office
YES 91.5% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 8.5%

FULLERTON, CA -- Limits council members to three 4-year terms
YES 79.8% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 20.2%

HEMET, CA -- No elected official can serve more than three 4-year terms in their life
YES 89% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 11%

INDIAN WELLS, CA -- Limits mayor and council to two consecutive 4-year terms
YES 79.25% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 20.75%

KIT CARSON COUNTY, CO -- Abolishes term limit on district attorney
YES 29%
NO 71% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

LAGUNA HILLS, CA -- Limits city council members to two 4-year terms
YES 74.4% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 25.6%

LOGAN COUNTY, CO -- Eliminates term limit on district attorney
YES 30%
NO 70% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

LOOMIS, CA -- Limits town council members to two consecutive 4-year terms
YES 55.4% -- TERM LIMITS WIN
NO 44.6%

MENIFEE, CA -- Limits council members to two consecutive 4-year terms
YES 81.7% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 18.3%

MORGAN COUNTY, CO -- Eliminates term limit on district attorney
YES 26%
NO 74% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

MULTNOMAH COUNTY, OR -- Abolishes county term limit of two 4-year terms in any 12-year period
YES 49%
NO 51% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

MURIETTA, CA -- Limits council members to two consecutive 4-year terms
YES 67% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 33%

NAPERVILLE, IL -- Limits mayor and council members to three consecutive 4-year terms
YES 72% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 28%

NEW MEXICO (STATEWIDE)
Would permit county commissioners to serve three consecutive terms instead of two
YES 17.5%
NO 82.5% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

NEW YORK CITY, NY -- Reestablishes term limits on mayor and council members of two consecutive 4-year terms
YES 74% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 26%

OKLAHOMA (STATEWIDE) -- Sets lifetime term limit for governor and other statewide officials to two 4-year terms
YES 69.88% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 30.12%

PARK COUNTY, CO -- Would eliminate the term limit on the district attorney
YES 31%
NO 69% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

PHILLIPS COUNTY, CO -- Eliminates term limit on district attorney
YES 34%
NO 66% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

ROSEVILLE, CA -- Would weaken council term limits to three from two 4-year terms
YES 31%
NO 69% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

SAN DIEGO, CA -- Limits terms of county supervisors to two 4-year terms (on primary ballot June 2010)
YES 69% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 31%

SANTA CLARA, CA -- Limits water district members to three terms
YES 75.37% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 24.63%

SEDGWICK COUNTY, CO -- Eliminates term limit on district attorney
YES 39%
NO 61% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

STOW, OH -- Limits city council to two 4-year terms
YES 75% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 25%

STOW, OH -- Limits city finance director to two 4-year terms
YES 73% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO 27%

WASHINGTON COUNTY, CO -- Eliminates term limit on district attorney
YES 32%
NO 68% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

YUMA COUNTY, CO -- Abolishes existing term limit on district attorney
YES 35%
NO 65% -- TERM LIMITS WIN!

95% of House incumbents win in 2008

Ah, change. In the 2006 elections, the Democrats took the Congress. In 2008, they expanded their gains in the Congress and took the presidency. At the headline level, certainly, we got change in bold, 60-point type.

But let's read further into the story. It turns out that the change occured only at the margins -- in open seats, where both parties put up serious candidates, threw their weight behind them and then sweated while the voters exercised their power to choose.

In the bulk of the races, on the other hand, incumbents nearly always won as they nearly always do. In 2006, 94% of House incumbents won; in 2008, 94.8% of House incumbents won.

You might ask, how can this be? But a better question is, how could this not be? An incumbent benefits from numerous advantages, the largest of which is probably the automatic support of special interests. This overwhelming lead discourages serious candidates from running and encourages parties to commit their limited resources elsewhere. In most cases, incumbents face underfunded challengers without serious party support, many of whom are simply gadflys.

Or, incumbents go unchallenged and the election is canceled altogether. Elections were canceled in 56 House districts this year.

Change, then, is made possible by open and competitive elections -- something that term limits mandate in every district at least once every eight years.

WSJ: Nov. 4 'loudest referendum on term limits'

NOV. 11, 2008 -- Lost in Obamamania, term limits had a banner day on Nov. 4. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal noticed and documented it in the Nov. 11 edition of the WSJ’s Political Diary under the headline “Terms of Entrenchment”:

“Earlier this year when New York's Michael Bloomberg announced he would seek to overhaul the city's term limit law so he could run for mayor again, the political class exalted. His move, now accomplished, was said to mark a backlash against term limits, a key agenda item for conservative government reformers.

“Not so fast. In last week's election, limits on politicians' time in office were enacted or reaffirmed by enormous margins nearly everywhere they were on the ballot in what might have been the loudest referendum for term limitation by voters ever.

“Louisiana voters said ‘yes' to term limits on elected state officials by a 70% to 30% margin, making the Bayou state the 15th with term limits. Meanwhile, South Dakota's lobbying community tried to overturn that state's term limits law, approved by voters 12 years earlier. Bad idea: 76% of voters said ‘hell, no.’ That was a bigger margin of victory than when term limits were originally instituted.

“In localities ranging from State College, Pennsylvania to Tracy, California and Memphis, Tennessee, voters approved term limits by two-to-one margins. Eight of the ten largest U.S. cities now have term limits. The only setback was a slight one, when San Antonio voters approved an extension of term limits to a maximum of eight years in office from the current four years.

“‘We won everywhere,’ declares U.S. Term Limits executive director Philip Blumel. ‘In state after state and town after town across America, term limits are gradually becoming the law of the land.’ An astonishing 83% of voters polled in October answered ‘yes’ to the following question: ‘Do you favor term limits on your elected officials?’ We're hardpressed to think of a single issue in America today that commands such levels of support. What the public is most eager to see is term limits on U.S. Congress but that, alas, will require a Constitutional Amendment approved by the careerists in Congress themselves. That's like asking a cat to put a bell on itself.

“Some fifteen years ago when the term limits movement was first gaining steam, then-Rep. Dan Rostenkowski huffed that term limits would lead to a ‘Congress of mediocrity.’ A decade and a half later, many voters think mediocrity in our public officials would be a vast improvement.”

Term Limits Win Everywhere Nov. 4

NOV. 4, 2008 -- Here’s a complete list of term limits votes around the nation that I know about. If I forgot any, please let me know.

South Dakota (J) – repeals term limits on state legislature.
YES: 87,361 (24.27%)
NO: 272,551 (75.73%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

Memphis, TN – Places a maximum of two terms on the city council, mayor and other constitutional offices.
YES: 177,571 (78.23%) TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO: 49,420 (21.77%)

Shelby County, TN (365) – Places term limits on various city charteroffices to match limits on county commission and mayor
YES: 273,107 (78.59%) TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO: 74,409 (21.41%)

San Antonio, TX (1) – Extends term limits for city council
YES: 190,417 (51.6%) TERM LIMITS EXTENDED FROM 4 TO 8 YEARS
NO: 178,611 (48.4%)

Tracy, CA (T) – Places a 2 four-year term limit on the city council and mayor
YES: 12,613 (67.21%) TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO: 6,154 (32.79%)

Rowlett, TX — extends term limit from two to three terms.
YES: 8,953 (44%)
NO: 11,295 (56%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

State College Borough, PA — repeals term limits for borough council.
YES: 8,050 (46%)
NO: 9,567 (54%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

Louisiana — statewide referendum to limit terms on a long list ofboards and commissions.
YES: 1,129,711 (69%) TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO: 497,205 (31%)

Daytona Beach Shores, FL -- Measure to repeal 8-year term limits
YES: 36%
NO: 64% TERM LIMITS WIN!

North Miami, FL -- Eliminate term limits for mayor
YES: 5,280 (33%)
NO: 10,693 (67%) TERM LIMITS WIN!

Ventura County, CA -- limits county supervisors to 12 years in office
YES: 77% TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO: 23%

Lynwood, CA -- limits city council members to two terms in office
YES: 75% TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO: 25%

Pinole, CA -- limits city council members to three terms in office
YES: 73% TERM LIMITS WIN!
NO: 27%

Leadville, CO -- repeal of county commission term limits
YES: 30%
NO: 70% TERM LIMITS WIN!

Ferguson Township, PA -- repeal of two-term limit on township supervisors
YES: 38%
NO: 62% TERM LIMITS WIN! (only 7 of 8 precincts counted)