Columbia, South Carolina, October 19, 2025

News Summary

A strong bipartisan movement for congressional term limits is gaining traction in South Carolina as candidates prepare for the special primary election on October 21. With a significant majority of the voters supporting the initiative, various candidates have pledged to advocate for term limits, signaling a transformative shift in the political landscape. The movement, backed by U.S. Term Limits, seeks to gather support from 34 states to pursue a constitutional amendment aimed at limiting congressional terms.

Columbia, South Carolina – Strong Bipartisan Momentum for Congressional Term Limits in South Carolina Ahead of Special Election

A significant bipartisan movement is emerging in South Carolina as candidates prepare for the special primary election set for October 21, 2025. This momentum is geared towards establishing term limits for congressional members, spearheaded by U.S. Term Limits (USTL), a national, non-partisan organization advocating for restrictions on elected officials’ time in office. The USTL’s objective is to gather support from 34 states to initiate a constitutional amendment aimed at imposing term limits on Congress.

In the upcoming election, various candidates in the race, including Brian Duncan, Lorelei Graye, and Darren Rogers, have committed to this cause by signing the term limits convention pledge. This pledge requires signers to actively support, cosponsor, and defend a resolution for an Article V convention focusing specifically on enacting congressional term limits.

As part of a broader effort to gain traction, South Carolina’s legislative history shows progress on this front. The House previously passed House Concurrent Resolution 3008, indicating the state’s intent to notify Congress of its participation in an amendment convention for term limits. Moreover, a recent survey conducted by RMG Research revealed that approximately 79% of likely voters in South Carolina support the implementation of congressional term limits.

The Significance of the Movement

The support for term limits is considerably high nationwide, with a recent Pew Research poll indicating that 87% of Americans favor limiting the terms of Congress members. Among these respondents, 56% expressed strong support for the initiative. In response to this widespread public sentiment, various state lawmakers across the country are expressing a growing interest in endorsing term limits during this election cycle.

Nick Tomboulides, CEO of USTL, highlighted the organization’s emphasis on mobilizing state-level action to pressure Congress into adopting term limits. He pointed to the fact that over 87% of Americans prefer government leadership from citizens rather than career politicians. USTL is currently the largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization advocating for congressional term limits, with active resolutions passed in nine states and pending legislation in an additional 20 states.

Legal Context

The Supreme Court case Thornton v. U.S. Term Limits in 1995 established that only a constitutional amendment can create term limits for U.S. Senators and House Representatives. Consequently, the USTL’s campaign focuses on pursuing a constitutional amendment via the state legislatures to achieve this goal. Critics of the term limits proposal raised concerns about the potential drawbacks including the loss of institutional knowledge and seniority within Congress, arguing that long-serving politicians may possess essential experience and expertise beneficial to governance.

Despite these criticisms, the drive for congressional term limits reflects a significant demand for accountability among Congressional leaders. As public interest grows, so does the likelihood that more legislation related to term limits will continue to emerge across various state legislatures, thus keeping the issue at the forefront of political discourse in South Carolina and beyond.

Conclusion

As the special primary election approaches, the commitment from candidates to the issue of congressional term limits marks an essential shift in South Carolina’s political landscape. With strong public support evident, the focus will remain on whether legislative action will lead to significant changes in how Congressional terms are structured in the future.

FAQ Section

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

HERE Resources

Trump’s Remarks on Greenland Spark Independence Debate

Additional Resources

• U.S. Term Limits: Brian Duncan Pledges to Support Congressional Term Limits
• U.S. Term Limits: South Carolina House Passes Resolution to Term Limit Congress
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Advocates for Congressional Term Limits
• Greenville Online: Ralph Norman Announces Run for South Carolina Governor
• Wikipedia: Term Limits

Author: STAFF HERE LEXINGTON WRITER

The LEXINGTON STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERELexington.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Lexington, Fayette County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Woodland Art Fair, Crave Food and Music Festival, and Railbird Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like Commerce Lexington and Blue Grass Community Foundation, plus leading businesses in education, manufacturing, and technology that power the local economy such as University of Kentucky, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, and Lexmark. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREBowlingGreen.com and HERELouisville.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Kentucky's dynamic landscape.