Washington State does not have governor term limits. The state constitution sets a four-year term and says nothing about how many times a governor may be re-elected, so the same person can run and win repeatedly for as long as voters keep returning them to office.
What the Constitution Actually Says
Article III, Section 2 of the Washington State Constitution vests executive power in the governor and fixes the term at four years, lasting “until his successor is elected and qualified.”1Justia. Washington Constitution Article III – The Executive That sentence is the whole framework. There is no consecutive-term cap, no lifetime cap, and no cooling-off period written into the document.
Washington is one of 13 states with no gubernatorial term limit at all. The other 37 states impose some kind of ceiling, whether a limit on consecutive terms or a lifetime ban after a set number.2Library of Congress. Guide to Law Online: U.S. Washington
Governors Who Have Served More Than Two Terms
The absence of a cap is not theoretical. Two Washington governors have each won three consecutive four-year terms. Daniel Evans served from 1965 to 1977. Jay Inslee served from 2013 to 2025. In both cases, the length of service was decided at the ballot box rather than by any constitutional ceiling.
Who Can Run for Governor in Washington
Because re-election is the only real limit, the eligibility rules matter. Article III, Section 25 of the state constitution requires only that a candidate be a United States citizen and a qualified elector of Washington.1Justia. Washington Constitution Article III – The Executive A qualified elector is a person who is at least 18, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of the state.3Washington State. Attorney General – Time When Qualification For Elective Offices Must Exist The constitution sets no higher minimum age, no fixed residency duration, and no requirement of prior public office. A sitting governor meets these requirements by definition and can file to run again.
How a Governor Can Still Leave Office Early
With no term limit in place, Washington relies on two other mechanisms to end a governor’s service before the voters do: recall and the constitutional succession rules.
Recall
Article I, Sections 33 and 34 give voters the power to recall any elected official, the governor included. A recall starts when a voter files a formal charge alleging malfeasance, misfeasance, or violation of the oath of office. The charge has to describe the alleged conduct in specific detail, including approximate dates.4Washington State Legislature. RCW 29A.56.110
If a court finds the charge legally sufficient, organizers then have to gather signatures from registered voters equal to 25 percent of the total votes cast for all candidates in the most recent gubernatorial election.5Washington State Legislature. RCW 29A.56.180 That typically works out to hundreds of thousands of valid signatures. No Washington governor has ever been successfully recalled.
Succession
If the governor dies, resigns, is removed, or becomes unable to serve, Article III, Section 10 sends the office to the lieutenant governor. If both offices are vacant, the line of succession continues through the Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Commissioner of Public Lands.1Justia. Washington Constitution Article III – The Executive Whoever steps in serves the balance of the original term.
What It Would Take to Add Term Limits
Adding a cap on gubernatorial terms would mean amending the constitution. Under Article XXIII, a proposed amendment first has to pass both chambers of the legislature by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to each house. It then goes to voters at the next general election, where a simple majority of those voting on the measure must approve it.6Justia. Washington Constitution Article XXIII – Amendments
No serious legislative effort to impose gubernatorial term limits has advanced to a vote in Washington. Until an amendment clears both the supermajority in Olympia and a statewide ballot, the answer stays the same: Washington’s governor can run as many times as the voters will have them.