Louisiana Amendment 4: Lifetime Term Limits for Governors

Louisiana voters will decide on November 3, 2026, whether to establish a lifetime limit on the number of terms a governor can serve under Amendment 4. The proposed constitutional amendment would cap the governor’s service at a maximum of two terms for life.

Under current rules established in Article IV, Section 3(B) of the Louisiana Constitution, governors are prohibited from serving more than two consecutive four-year terms. This existing structure allows a former governor to seek election again after sitting out at least one term. A “yes” vote on Amendment 4 would replace this consecutive limit with a permanent lifetime maximum of two terms, including restrictions on those who have already served more than one and a half terms. The current text would be deleted, which states a person serving more than one and one-half terms in two consecutive terms cannot be elected for the next term. A “no” vote would maintain the current system, allowing governors to run again after time out of office.

Louisiana Amendment 4: Places a lifetime term limit on a person who has served as governor for…

Legislative Path to the Ballot

The measure began as House Bill 225, introduced by state Rep. Michael Bayham (R-103) on February 19, 2026. To reach the ballot, the amendment required a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the state legislature.

The Louisiana House of Representatives passed the bill on May 5, 2026, with a 73-25 vote. Support for the amendment was largely split by party: 67 Republicans and six Democrats voted in favor in the House, while three Republicans and 22 Democrats opposed it. In the Senate, 28 Republicans supported the measure and 10 Democrats opposed it.

Lifetime term limit for Louisiana governors to be decided by voters

National Context of Gubernatorial Limits

As of 2026, 37 states have gubernatorial term limits. According to Ballotpedia, nine of those states utilize lifetime limits, while 28 use limits on consecutive terms. Thirteen states, including Texas, New York, and Wisconsin, have no term limits for their governors. Other states without limits are Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.

The most recent state to decide on such a measure was North Dakota in 2022. Voters there approved Constitutional Measure 1 with 63.43% of the vote, which limited the governor to two four-year terms. Since 2000, Idaho, Missouri, North Dakota, and Oklahoma have decided on similar ballot measures; voters approved three and defeated one.

How a proposed amendment to the Louisiana constitution could affect the governor’s office

Amendment 4 is one of 10 proposed constitutional amendments appearing on the November 3 election. It remains to be seen how Louisiana voters will rule on the change.

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