Documented cases

Lawmakers who promised to limit their own service

Primary-source records of personal service-limit commitments made by members of Congress, and what each lawmaker did afterward. Every case links to the original reporting or record.

When self-imposed limits expire

This archive tracks federal lawmakers who made a personal commitment to limit their own service — “I will serve only two terms” — and what happened afterward. It does not track lawmakers who merely supported a constitutional term-limits amendment; that is a different thing, and it is labeled as context wherever it appears here.

This is a record of public commitments and subsequent public actions. It makes no claim about anyone’s motive, honesty, or conduct in office. We include examples from both major parties, cases that complicate the argument, and a section on lawmakers who kept their word. Last reviewed August 14, 2026.

Linked articles are hosted by their publishers. Some may be paywalled, archived, moved, or unavailable in certain regions. Where a source is advocacy, opinion, or partisan material, the label on the link says so.

41
Documented cases: 91
Source links: 28
Direct-record or corroborated: 8
Pledge keepers listed

How to read this archive

What happened

Served beyond the limit (31): Completed service past the stated personal limit.
Sought service beyond the limit (7): Ran, is running, or announced a run past the limit — the additional term was not completed.
Announced a reversal, then withdrew (1): Announced a reversal but later retired or withdrew from the race.
Honored the limit, returned later (2): Left office as promised, then returned to Congress at a later date.

How strong the evidence is

Direct record: Archival video or audio, a contemporaneous exact quote, a written pledge, or the lawmaker's own acknowledgment.
Corroborated: Multiple credible sources agree on the promise and the later action, but the original artifact is not linked here.
Reported: A credible contemporaneous roundup documents the pledge; we are still tracing the original promise artifact.
Read the caveat: A material caveat or a conflicting account has to be read before drawing any conclusion.

Showing 5 of 41 documented cases

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Historical scope

Voluntary self-limit pledges were common in the 1990s. The Congressional Research Service identified 59 members of the 106th Congress who had made one. That number describes how many lawmakers pledged — it is not a count of broken promises, and it should never be quoted as one.

OverviewOfficialCongressional Research Service· 2000-04-26
Term Limits for Members of Congress: State Activity and Voluntary Pledges(opens in a new tab)
CRS identified 59 members of the 106th Congress who had made voluntary self-limit pledges. That figure describes the pool of pledgers — it is not a count of broken pledges.
OverviewArticleThe Washington Post· 1999-03-15
Term Limit Pledges Are Coming Due(opens in a new tab)
OverviewArticleAssociated Press· 2003
Candidates Breaking Term-Limit Promises(opens in a new tab)
OverviewArticleAssociated Press· 2003
Term Limits Glance(opens in a new tab)
Associated Press overview from 2003 listing members with self-imposed service limits.
OverviewArticleRoll Call· 2005-01-24
Term Limits Issue Lacks the Political Punch It Once Had(opens in a new tab)

Pledge keepers and counterexamples

Plenty of lawmakers left exactly when they said they would. Listing them is not a concession — it is what separates a real commitment from a general position, and it keeps this archive from becoming selection-only advocacy.

Tom Coburn
U.S. House, then U.S. Senate · Oklahoma
Kept a three-term House commitment and left in 2001, later returning to the Senate under a self-limit he also honored.
The Washington Post Roll Call
Jack Metcalf
U.S. House · Washington
Honored his three-term commitment and retired in 2001.
The Washington Post
Matt Salmon
U.S. House · Arizona
Honored a three-term commitment and left the House in 2001.
The Washington Post Roll Call
Charles Canady
U.S. House · Florida
Honored his self-imposed limit and left the House in 2001.
The Washington Post
Bob Schaffer
U.S. House · Colorado
Honored a three-term commitment and left the House in 2003.
The Washington Post Roll Call

Related: legislative-pledge tracker

Advocacy organization. Its modern pledge asks lawmakers to co-sponsor and vote for a term-limits amendment. Signing it is not, by itself, a personal promise to retire after a set number of terms.

U.S. Term Limits: 119th Congress pledge signers

What does the research say?

Peer-reviewed findings on how a political career compounds: donors, committee money, networks, and institutional power.

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What cuts the other way

The strongest documented costs of very short tenure, published in full alongside the case for the rule.

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Watch the videos

Outside talks and documentaries on entrenchment, incumbency, and congressional careers.

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These are promises voters were given.

The rule does not depend on anyone keeping their word. It puts the limit where it cannot be withdrawn — your vote.

Read the exact rule

Prefer to read it first? Read the full pledge before you sign.

When self-imposed limits expire

Lindsey GrahamU.S. House, then U.S. Senate · South CarolinaServed beyond the limitDirect record2 sourcesPromised:As a House member, described running on term limits and a twelve-year limit on service in Congress.Later:Served more than thirty years in Congress across the House and Senate.

Mark WarnerU.S. Senate · VirginiaSought service beyond the limitRead the caveat4 sourcesPromised:During his unsuccessful 1996 Senate campaign, said he would serve no more than two Senate terms.Later:First won a Senate seat in 2008, served a third term, and is running for a fourth in 2026.

Gary PalmerU.S. House · AlabamaSought service beyond the limitDirect record4 sourcesPromised:Acknowledged saying during his 2014 campaign that he would personally serve only five terms.Later:Served a sixth term and is seeking a seventh in 2026.

Tim ScottU.S. Senate · South CarolinaSought service beyond the limitDirect record2 sourcesPromised:Said he would finish the term he was appointed to and then serve no more than two full Senate terms.Later:Said in March 2026 that he plans to run again in 2028.

Susan CollinsU.S. Senate · MaineSought service beyond the limitDirect record5 sourcesPromised:Said during her 1996 campaign that she would serve only two Senate terms.Later:Has served five terms and formally launched a sixth-term campaign on February 10, 2026.

Historical scope

Pledge keepers and counterexamples

Related: legislative-pledge tracker

These are promises voters were given.