Washington state governor term limits do not exist. The state constitution sets a four-year term but places no cap on how many times a governor can be re-elected, so a sitting governor can seek a third, fourth, or later term as long as voters keep returning them to office.1Library of Congress. Guide to Law Online: U.S. Washington
What the Washington Constitution Says
Article III, Section 2 vests executive power in the governor and fixes the term at four years, running “until his successor is elected and qualified.”2Justia. Washington Constitution Article III – The Executive That is the entire framework for gubernatorial tenure. Nothing in the constitution sets a maximum number of terms, consecutive or lifetime. The only check on continued service is the next election.
Two governors have already served three consecutive four-year terms under this rule. Daniel Evans held the office from 1965 to 1977. Jay Inslee served from 2013 to 2025. In both cases, the end of the tenure was a personal decision or a voter decision, not a legal one.
How Washington Compares to Other States
Thirty-seven states impose some form of term limit on their governors. Washington is one of 13 that do not. The others are Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin. New Hampshire and Vermont go further in the opposite direction, with two-year terms and still no cap on re-election.
Among states that do impose limits, the rules vary. Some cap consecutive terms, meaning a governor must sit out a cycle before running again. Others impose lifetime bans that permanently disqualify anyone who has served the maximum. Virginia allows only a single consecutive term. A consecutive-term rule works like a cooling-off period; a lifetime ban is permanent.
The Federal Model Washington Did Not Follow
The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1951, bars anyone from being elected president more than twice, and someone who serves more than two years of another president’s term can be elected only once on their own.3Congress.gov. Twenty-Second Amendment Washington’s constitution has no equivalent. A lieutenant governor who finishes a predecessor’s term and then wins two full terms of their own faces no bar to running again.
Removal Without Term Limits
Because Washington relies on the ballot rather than a legal ceiling, the mechanisms for removing a governor between elections are narrow. Voters can pursue recall under Article I, Sections 33 and 34. A voter files a charge alleging malfeasance, misfeasance, or a violation of the oath of office, described in specific detail.4Washington State Legislature. RCW 29A.56.110 If a court finds the charge legally sufficient, organizers must collect signatures from registered voters equal to 25 percent of the total votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election.5Washington State Legislature. RCW 29A.56.180 No Washington governor has been successfully recalled.
If a governor dies, resigns, is removed, or cannot serve, Article III, Section 10 hands the office to the lieutenant governor for the remainder of the term.2Justia. Washington Constitution Article III – The Executive Neither recall nor succession functions as a term limit; they address misconduct or vacancy, not longevity.
What It Would Take to Add Term Limits
Capping gubernatorial terms in Washington would require a constitutional amendment. Under Article XXIII, a proposed amendment must pass both chambers of the legislature by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to each house, and then win a majority of votes cast on the measure at the next general election.6Justia. Washington Constitution Article XXIII – Amendments No serious legislative effort to add such a cap has advanced to a vote.