LONGEST TERMS IN OFFICE

In the first incarnation of term limits, which started in 1990, constitutional officers and State Senate members can hold an office for two four-year terms. In the State Assembly, the limit was three two-year terms. Under the new term limits, starting in 2012, members of the Legislature are now limited to a total of 12 years in office (no matter which house they are in when they serve those years).

Seats in the US House of Representatives and US Senate are not bound by term limits, and members may serve for as long as the voters in their districts reelect them. The current longest-serving member of the legislature is Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, who served twelve years in the Senate prior to term limits, four years in the Assembly under old term limits, and may be able to serve another decade in the Senate.

Also of note is Governor Jerry Brown, who has previously served eight years (pre-term limits). If Brown serves his full current term, he will reach 12 years in that office (breaking the current record of 10 years held by Earl Warren).

As of January 3, 2013, the longest terms that California elected officials have held a single office is:

(1) Farr reached 20 years of service in Congress on June 17, 2013.
(3) Nielsen will reach 20 years of service in the State Senate on December 3, 2020 (in 2724 days).