Candidate Eligibility
The general eligibility requirements to be a candidate for a public elective office in Texas are that a person must:
- be a United States citizen;
- be 18 years of age or older on the first day of the term to be filled at the election;
- have not been determined mentally incompetent by a final judgment of a court;
- have not been finally convicted of a felony from which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities;
- have resided continuously in the state for 12 months and in the territory from which the office is elected for 6 months immediately preceding a date which varies according to the candidate’s status;
- satisfy any other eligibility requirements prescribed by law for the office.
These requirements do not apply to an office for which the federal or state constitution or a statute outside the Texas Election Code prescribes exclusive eligibility requirements (Texas Election Code Ann. §141.001 [Vernon 1986]).
Procedures for Filing
In order to become a candidate with a major political party, one must file an application with the county or state party chair and pay a filing fee (ID §§ 172.022, 172.024). A candidate also has the option of filing a petition in lieu of the filing fee (ID § 172.025). The application and petition forms are available through your local party officials, the Secretary of State, or the Hays County Elections Administrator’s office.
Please contact the state chair of the Democratic, Libertarian, or Republican Party for information on party rules. State party chair addresses are as follows:
Texas Republican Party | Texas Democratic Party | Libertarian Party of Texas | ||
State Chairman James Dickey | Gilberto Hinojosa, Chair | John Wilford, Chair | ||
211 E. 7th St., #915 Austin, TX 78701 | P.O. Box 2206 Austin, TX 78768 | 1106 Lavaca St., #100 Austin, TX 78701 | P.O. Box 116 Austin, TX 78767 | 111 Congress Ave., Suite 400 Austin, TX 78701 |
phone: (512) 477-9821 fax: (512) 480-0709 |
phone: (512) 478-9800 fax: (512) 480-2500 |
toll-free: (800) 422-1776 phone: (512) 279-7860 fax: (512) 233-0613 |
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www.texasgop.org | www.txdemocrats.org | www.lptexas.org | ||
info@texasgop.org | yellowdog@txdemocrats.org press@txdemocrats.org |
webmaster@lptexas.org | ||
Facebook: Republican Party of Texas | Facebook: Texas Democratic Party | Facebook: Libertarian Party of Texas | ||
Twitter: Texas GOP | Twitter: Texas Democrats | Twitter: Libertarian Party of Texas |
Financial Disclosure Requirements
The Texas Election Code requires each candidate to file a designation of campaign treasurer and periodic sworn statements of their contributions and expenditures with the appropriate official to satisfy financial disclosure requirements. For information on financial disclosure laws, visit the Texas Ethics Commission at www.ethics.state.tx.us or via one of the following methods:
Phone 512.463.5800 TDD 800.735.2989
Physical Address:
Sam Houston Bldg.
201 East 14th St., 10th Floor
Austin, TX 78701
Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 12070
Austin, TX 78711-2070
E-mail Addresses:
openrecords@ethics.state.tx.us
treasappoint@ethics.state.tx.us
formsecurity@ethics.state.tx.us
affidavits@ethics.state.tx.us
public_comments@ethics.state.tx.us (comments on proposed TEC rules)
sworncomplaints@ethics.state.tx.us