Election Code § 161.005

Sec. 161.005. ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTY OFFICES GENERALLY. (a) To be eligible to be a candidate for or to serve as an officer of a political party, a person must: (1) except as provided by Subsection (c), not be a candidate for nomination or election to, or be the holder of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government; and (2) if the office is a county or precinct chair of a political party, be a qualified voter of the county. (a-1) For purposes of this section, the following are officers of a political party: (1) a precinct chair; (2) a county chair; and (3) a member, a chair, or a vice chair of a state executive committee of a political party. (b) For purposes of this section, a person becomes a candidate at the earliest time at which one of the following occurs: (1) the person files: (A) a declaration of intent to run as an independent candidate; (B) an application for a place on a primary or general election ballot or for nomination by a convention; or (C) a declaration of write-in candidacy; or (2) the person is nominated by a convention or executive committee. (c) A candidate for nomination or election to, or the holder of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government is eligible to serve as an officer of a political party to which Chapter 181 applies. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 864, Sec. 105, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by: Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 576 (S.B. 817), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2013. Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 810 (H.B. 1987), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.