By Zachary Gorchow
President of Michigan Operations
Posted: January 3, 2023 10:21 AM

When the 102nd Legislature is sworn into office on January 11, the new House will have a climate unlike any in more than 30 years with nearly the entire body eligible to seek reelection in 2024 thanks to voters passing Proposal 22-1 to change term limits.

The new 12-year limit on legislative service means that only Rep. Dale Zorn (R-Onsted) will be ineligible to run.

Not since the 1990 election, the election prior to voters adopting term limits in 1992 that set a limit of three two-year terms in the House, have so many members had the ability to run again.

The House has 57 new members, one of the highest ever (the modern record was 64 in 1998 when the 1992 term limits law first took effect on that body). Most of them, other than Mr. Zorn, Rep. Curt VanderWall (R-Ludington) and Rep. Doug Wozniak (R-Shelby Township), who all have prior legislative service in the Senate, the House or both, will be eligible to run for six two-year terms in the House if they wish.

Twenty-seven members who won in November what would have been their third and final term allowed under the old term limits law will instead be eligible to run for three more House terms if they wish.

Meanwhile in the Senate, 14 new members have joined the body. Under the language of the constitutional amendment, those winning their first term in November who had enough prior service in the House that would have prevented them from running in 2026 are eligible to seek a second term. That means Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown Township), Sen. Michael Webber (R-Rochester Hills), Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), Sen. Joseph Bellino (R-Monroe), Sen. Thomas Albert (R-Lowell), Sen. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing), Sen. Roger Hauck (R-Mount Pleasant) and Sen. Michele Hoitenga (R-Manton) all can run in 2026.

All had served six years in the House.

Additionally, the following members who won reelection in November will be eligible to run for a third term in 2026 if they wish: Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-Keego Harbor), Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) and Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia).

In 2026, 18 of the Senate's 38 members will be ineligible to seek reelection under the new limit.