Filing in the Libertarian Party or Green Party 2026 Convention Process

Candidates seeking the nomination of the Libertarian Party or Green Party must file (1) a candidate application, and (2) a filing fee or petition in lieu of filing fee.

Filing Period

Candidate Application: The candidate application must be filed with the applicable county or state party chair. The application must be filed no later than 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 8, 2025. [Sec. 181.033] Candidates should contact their party chairs for details on filing candidate applications.
Filing Fee or Petition in Lieu of Filing Fee: The first day a candidate may submit a filing fee or petition in lieu of filing fee to the Secretary of State or County Judge, whichever is applicable, is November 8, 2025. The last day to submit a filing fee or petition in lieu of filing fee is 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 8, 2025. See chart below for additional details.

Candidate Application Form

In order to become a Libertarian Party or Green Party nominee for a particular office, you must file an application for nomination (PDF) with the county or state party chair, as appropriate (see chart). [Sec. 181.032]
Candidates for federal office must file a federal application (PDF).

Filing Fee or Petition in Lieu of Filing Fee

In order to be considered for nomination by convention, a candidate must submit either a filing fee or a petition in lieu of filing fee (PDF), delivered to the Secretary of State (for a statewide or district office) or to the county judge (for a county or precinct office). The amount of the filing fee or the number of signatures required for the petition in lieu of a filing fee is the same amount that is required for a candidate seeking nomination by primary election under Sections 172.024 and 172.025.
The secretary of state may declare a candidate ineligible if the candidate fails to pay the filing fee or submit a petition in lieu of a filing fee. [Sec. 145.003]

The executive committee may only make a replacement nomination following an administrative declaration of ineligibility by the Secretary of State if the replacement candidate pays the filing fee or submits a petition in lieu of a filing fee. [Sec. 145.036]

Judicial Candidates

Candidates for certain judicial offices must provide additional information with their judicial application (PDF) for nomination by convention. [Sec. 141.0311] See Running for a Judicial Office in 2026 for more information.

Note: Candidates running for Courts of Appeals in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 14th, 15th Districts and all candidates running for judicial offices in Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant Counties are not required to submit a judicial petition in addition to the filing fee. [Sec. 181.0311]

Withdrawal

A candidate may withdraw their application and have their name omitted from the ballot by submitting a notarized Certificate of Withdrawal (PDF) or a notarized letter to the same filing authority.
The candidate should consult party rules for the deadline to withdraw from the convention.

Important dates for your party’s precinct, county and district conventions can be found here.

NEW LAW: Pursuant to SB 901 (89th Leg., R.S.), effective September 1, 2025, a person who files an application with more than one political party (primary or convention) is ineligible for a place on the ballot for a general primary election, nomination by convention, and the succeeding general election as an independent candidate or as a write-in candidate. [Sec. 162.0151] See our FAQs on Party Affiliation and Candidacy for more details about how rimary voting or candidacy affects (or does not affect) candidacy in the general election.

Public Office Sought in 2026	File Application with Party Chair		Additional Information Required	File with County Judge or SOS (filing fee OR nominating petition)
Public Office Sought in 2026	State	County	Additional Information Required	Filing fee	%Signatures ^a	Number of Signatures ^b
United States Senator	x	-	-	$5,000	-	5000
United States Representative	x	-	-	$3,125	2%	500
Governor	x	-	-	$3,750	-	5000
Lieutenant Governor	x	-	-	$3,750	-	5000
Attorney General	x	-	-	$3,750	-	5000
Comptroller of Public Accounts	x	-	-	$3,750	-	5000
Commissioner of General Land Office	x	-	-	$3,750	-	5000
Railroad Commissioner	x	-	-	$3,750	-	5000
Justice, Supreme Court	x	-	x	$3,750	-	5000
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals	x	-	x	$3,750	-	5000
Chief Justice and Justice, 15th Court of Appeals ^g	x	-	x	$2,500	2%	500
State Senator	x	-	-	$1,250	2%	500
State Representative	x	-	-	$750	2%	500
Member, State Board of Education	x	-	-	$300	2%	500
Chief Justice and Justice, Court of Appeals	x	-	x	$2,500 / $1,875^c	2%	500
District Judge	x	-	x	$2,500 / $1,500^d	2%	500
Criminal District Judge	x	-	x	$2,500 / $1,500^d	2%	500
Family District Judge	x	-	x	$2,500 / $1,500^d	2%	500
District Attorney	x	-	-	$1,250	2%	500
Criminal District Attorney	x	-	-	$1,250	2%	500
County Judge	-	x	-	$1,250 / $750^e	2%	500
Judge, County Court-at-Law	-	x	x	$2,500 / $1,500^d	2%	500
Judge, County Criminal Court	-	x	x	$2,500 / $1,500^d	2%	500
Judge, County Probate Court	-	x	x	$2,500 / $1,500^d	2%	500
County Attorney	-	x	-	$1,250 / $750^f	2%	500
District Clerk	-	x	-	$1,250 / $750^e	2%	500
County Clerk	-	x	-	$1,250 / $750^e	2%	500
District/County Clerk	-	x	-	$1,250 / $750^e	2%	500
Tax Assessor-Collector	-	x	-	$1,250 / $750^e	2%	500
County Treasurer	-	x	-	$1,250 / $750^e	2%	500
County Surveyor	-	x	-	$75	2%	500
County Commissioner	-	x	-	$1,250 / $750^e	2%	500
Sheriff	-	x	-	$1,250 / $750^e	2%	500
Constable	-	x	-	$1,000 / $375^e	2%	500
Justice of the Peace	-	x	-	$1,000 / $375^e	2%	500
Source: Texas Election Code Section	181.032; 182.0041		141.0311	172.024	172.025

Percentage of all votes for all gubernatorial candidates cast in the applicable territory in the 2022 general election. If number is less than 50, the required number of signatures is the lesser of (1) 50 or (2) 20% of all votes for all gubernatorial candidates cast in the applicable territory in the 2022 general election.
The minimum number of signatures that must appear on a candidate’s petition for statewide office is 5000. The minimum number of signatures that must appear on a candidate’s petition for district, county or precinct office is the lesser of (1) 500 or (2) 2% of the total vote received in the district, county or precinct, as applicable, by all gubernatorial candidates in the 2022 general election, subject to (c) above. [Sec. 172.025]
Pay higher fee in Courts of Appeals Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, and 15. [Sec. 172.024(7), (8)]
Pay higher fee in Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant Counties. [Sec. 172.024(10), (12)]
Pay higher fee if county has at least 200,000 inhabitants according to 2020 Census.
Pay higher fee if county attorney performs the duties of a district attorney. [Sec. 172.024(13)]
SB 1045 (2023, R.S.) created the Fifteenth Court of Appeals. While the court is composed of all counties in Texas, the qualifications and filing requirements are the same as the other court of appeals districts.