Where Did All The 40-Something Legislators Go?

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/28/2026) When Michigan's first class of legislators under the state's new term limits law arrived at the Capitol in 1993, nearly seven out of every 10 lawmakers were in their 40s or 50s.

Now, 32 years later, less than half are.

A MIRS analysis of the age ranges of every legislator serving at the beginning of each legislative session since 1993 shows a striking shift away from the middle-aged lawmaker who once dominated the Capitol. Today's Legislature has substantially more members in their 60s and 70s, somewhat more younger lawmakers and far fewer in their 40s.

The age data alone does not establish that term limits caused the changing demographics. Michigan's population has aged during the same period, and changes in careers, campaigns and the types of candidates attracted to legislative service could also play roles.

What the numbers do show is that the Legislature entering the term-limits era – one overwhelmingly populated by people in the middle of their working lives – looks considerably different from the one sitting in Lansing today.

Of the 148 legislators serving Jan. 1, 1993, 60 were in their 40s and 42 were in their 50s. Combined, the two age groups represented 68.9% of the Legislature.

At the beginning of 2025, 33 legislators were in their 40s and 39 were in their 50s. The 72 lawmakers between 40 and 59 represented 49% of the 147 lawmakers included in the snapshot.

For the first time in the data, there were also more lawmakers age 60 or older than lawmakers in their 40s.

The data suggests Michigan's term-limited Legislature did not simply become younger as long-serving lawmakers were forced from office. Instead, the age distribution gradually spread toward both ends.

The trend started happening occurred in 1992, when voters approved limiting the amount of time a person could serve in the state Legislature to three two-year House terms and two four-year Senate terms. Since then the Constitution was amended to limit someone to 12 years total in the Legislature.

With the job paying $71,685 a year – less in nominal dollars than the $79,650 lawmakers earned in 2002 – one possible explanation is that legislative service has become more attractive to people at the beginning or end of their careers than to those in their prime earning years.

In 1993, 26 legislators, or 17.6%, were younger than 40. Another 20, or 13.5%, were 60 or older.

That meant only 46 lawmakers were outside the 40-to-59 age range compared to 102 who were in it.

By 2025, 33 lawmakers were younger than 40 and 42 were 60 or older. Combined, those 75 legislators outnumbered the 72 between ages 40 and 59.

That crossover wasn't sudden.

In 2017, the two groups were exactly even, with 74 lawmakers between ages 40 and 59 and 74 either younger than 40 or at least 60.

Since 2019, lawmakers outside the 40-to-59 range have outnumbered those within it at the beginning of every session.

The most dramatic change has been among legislators in their 60s.

There were 17 lawmakers in their 60s in 1993. The number generally hovered in the teens and low 20s through the first decade of term limits before reaching 29 in 2015 and 2017, 30 in 2021 and 2023 and a record 34 in 2025.

The eight lawmakers in their 70s at the beginning of the current term were also a record. No previous session in the analysis had more than five.