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Running for County or Precinct Chair in a Party Primary in 2026

Application Process

Candidates seeking office for county or precinct chair must file an application to have their name placed on the ballot for the primary election.

Filing Period

• County Chair
• The application (PDF) must be filed between November 8, 2025 and 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 8, 2025.  [Sec. 172.023]  The application shall be filed with the county chair or the secretary of the county executive committee, if there is one.  [Sec. 172.022] 
• Precinct Chair
• The application (PDF) must be filed between September 9, 2025 and 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 8, 2025.[Sec. 172.023]  The application shall be filed with the county chair or the secretary of the county executive committee, if there is one.  [Sec. 172.022] 

Candidate Application

• Candidate Application for County Chair
• Optional Petition Process for County Chair: A political party’s state executive committee, by rule, may require that an application for county chair be accompanied by a nominating petition containing the signatures of at least 10% of the incumbent precinct chairs serving on the county executive committee.  [Sec. 172.021(f)]  Please contact your party’s state executive committee for details as to whether they have created a rule requiring the submission of a nominating petition. Because this petition is prescribed by party rule, county chair candidates will need to contact their party’s state executive committee for the nominating petition form.
• Candidate Application for Precinct Chair
• NEW LAW: Pursuant to HB 766 (89th Leg. R.S.), effective September 1, 2025, an application for a place on the ballot as a candidate for precinct chair MUST include:
• An e-mail address at which the candidate receives correspondence related to the candidate’s campaign;
• A telephone number at which the candidate can be reached; or
• An e-mail address and telephone number.  [Sec. 172.021(h)] 

Note:The e-mail address and telephone number provided by the candidate on their application for precinct chair is confidential and is not public information.  [Sec. 172.021(i)] 

• Write-in Candidates
• Write-in candidates for the offices of county chair or precinct chair are not permitted unless the county executive committee authorizes write-in candidates for those offices.  [Sec. 171.0231]  To be on the list of declared write-in candidates for the office of county chair or precinct chair, a person must file a declaration of write-in candidacy with the county chair, the secretary of the county executive committee, or the county chair’s designee no later than 6:00 p.m. of the fifth day after the date of the regular filing deadline for the general primary election, Monday, December 15, 2025.  [Secs. 1.006, 171.0231]  Please contact your county executive committee for details.

General Eligibility Requirements for Party Offices Appearing on a Primary Ballot

To be eligible to run as a candidate for or serve as county or precinct chair of a political party, a person must be a qualified voter of the county. A qualified voter is a registered voter of the county.  [Secs. 11.002, 161.005] The candidate must therefore be a resident of the county to be eligible for county chair or precinct chair. There is no specific period of time that the person must have been a resident of the county to be eligible for the office of precinct chair or county chair.  [Sec. 161.005]  The candidate must be a registered voter as of the day the application was filed. If a person is appointed as a county or precinct chair, the candidate must be a registered voter as of the date of appointment.  [Sec. 161.005]  A person’s registration is effective 30 days after the date the application is submitted to the voter registrar.

Additionally, to be eligible to be a candidate for or to serve as an officer of a political party, a person must not be a candidate for nomination or election to, or be the holder of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government. Therefore, a person cannot run for county or precinct chair if the person currently holds an elected federal, state, or county public office; or if the person is a candidate for such office.  [Sec. 161.005] 

Voter Registration for Convicted Felons

Final felony conviction status does not disqualify a candidate for party offices, unless the conviction impacts voter registration status.

Note: The general eligibility requirements for public office do not apply to party offices.  [Sec. 141.001] 

Residency Requirements for Precinct Chair

In addition to the general eligibility requirements for party office, a person must also reside in the election precinct to be eligible to be a candidate for or to serve as a precinct chair for that precinct. There is no specific period of time that the person must have been a resident of the precinct to be eligible for the office of precinct chair.  [Sec. 171.023] 

Candidates for Nomination to or Holder of Other Elective Office

• Office of Federal, State or County Government
• A person seeking a party office must not be a candidate for nomination or election to, or the holder of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government.  [Sec. 161.005] 

  Note: This prohibition does not apply to parties nominating under Chapter 181.

• Office of Local Government (City, School District, Water District, etc.)
• A person who holds an elective office of a local government entity (e.g. a city, school district, water district, etc.) would be eligible to be a candidate for or to serve as a party officer and is permitted to run for and hold those offices unless outside law provides otherwise.  [Sec. 161.005] 

When Does Someone Become a Candidate?

For purposes of eligibility for party offices, a person is considered to be a candidate at the earliest time that a person files for office or a person is nominated by a convention or executive committee. Additionally, a person is considered to have filed for a party office when one of the following occurs: the person files a declaration of intent to run as an independent candidate, an application for a place on a primary or general election ballot or for nomination by a convention, or a declaration of write-in candidacy.  [Sec. 161.005] 

Note: Whether these offices are elected by plurality or majority is determined by each party’s state executive committee.  [Sec. 171.022(d)]