The number of incumbents running in this year’s state executive elections—20—is the fewest in the past four cycles for these offices. These are the 36 executive positions that voters decide in three states—Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi—in the year prior to each presidential election.
The number of incumbents running for re-election for these offices has declined each cycle since 2011, when 27 incumbents ran for the same 36 positions.
The state executive offices up for election this year include:
- governor (all three states)
- lieutenant governor (all three states)
- attorney general (all three states)
- secretary of state (all three states)
- state treasurer (all three states)
- agriculture commissioner (all three states)
- state auditor (Kentucky, Mississippi)
- insurance commissioner (Louisiana, Mississippi)
- public service commissioner (three in Mississippi, elected by district)
- transportation commissioner (three in Mississippi, elected by district)
- state board of education (eight in Louisiana, elected by district)
Kentucky limits all state executives to two terms in office. Louisiana limits the governor and members of the state board of education to two terms but has no term limits for any other state executive office. Mississippi has a two-term limit for just its governor and lieutenant governor.
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