The general eligibility requirements to be a candidate for a public elective office in Texas are that a person must; 1) be a United States citizen; 2) be 18 years of age or older on the first day of the term to be filled at the election; 3) have not been determined mentally incompetent by a final judgment of a court; 4) have not been finally convicted of a felony from which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities; 5) have resided continuously in the state for 12 months and in the territory from which the office is elected for six months immediately preceding a date which varies according to the candidate’s status; and 6) 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).

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. (Application and petition forms are available through your local party officials, the Secretary of State or the Guadalupe 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, District 25

Texas Democratic Party

Libertarian Party of Texas

Green Party of Texas

Curt Nelson
15258 Oak Spring
San Antonio, TX 78232

210-490-7577

E-mail: clnelson1981@sbcglobal.net

Boyd L. Richie, Chairman

707 Rio Grande Street
Austin, Texas 78701

Telephone: (512) 478-9800
Fax: (512) 480-2500

E-mail: yellowdog@txdemocrats.org

Patrick Dixon, Chairman

P.O. Box 41059
Austin, TX 78704

512-771-3936

E-mail: Chair@LPTexas.org

Kat Swift, Co-Chair

Douglas M. Reber, Co-Chair

P.O. Box 1508
Austin, TX 78767

E-mail: kat@bexargreens.org

E-mail: doug_reber@yahoo.com