How to File to Run for State, County, or Local Office

The process to file for local, county, or state office is different than the process to run for federal office. Find our filing for federal office guide here. This guide is meant to help you understand the steps you'll need to take to file for non-federal statewide office, State Senator, State Representative, State Board of Education, Supreme Court Justice, Court of Appeals or Court of Criminal Appeals, district judge, county or precinct offices (county commissioner, sheriff, district attorney, etc.), city offices (mayor, city council, etc.), and political subdivision offices (school board, municipal utility district, etc.). If you have questions that aren't answered by this guide, please email us at info@texasmajoritypac.com.


Step 1: Determine Eligibility

Step 2: Appoint a Treasurer

Step 3: Obtain a Federal EIN

Step 4: Open a Bank Account

Step 5: File for a Place on the Ballot

Step 1: Determine Eligibility

In order to run for state or county office, you must meet the following criteria:

Office Sought

U.S. Citizen

Texas Resident

District Resident

Registered to Vote in Area of Office Sought

Minimum Age

Governor/Lt. Gov

Yes

5 years

-

Not required

30

Attorney General

Yes

12 months

-

Yes

18

State Comptroller

Yes

12 months

-

Yes

18

Land Commissioner

Yes

12 months

-

Yes

18

Agriculture Commissioner

Yes

12 months

-

Yes

18

Railroad Commissioner

Yes

12 months

-

Yes

25

State Senator

Yes

5 years

12 months

Not required

26

State Representative

Yes

2 years

12 months

Not required

21

State Board of Education

Yes

12 months

12 months

Yes

26

County Judge

Yes

12 months

6 months

Yes

18

Sheriff

Yes

12 months

6 months

Yes

18

County Commissioner

Yes

12 months

6 months

Yes

18

Justice of the Peace

Yes

12 months

6 months

Yes

18

To see the requirements for all state and county offices, look at this Qualification Guide on the Secretary of State website.

To see the requirements for mayor and other local offices, look at this Qualification Guide on the SoS website.


Step 2: Appoint a Treasurer and Familiarize Yourself with the Rules

You must appoint a treasurer by filing a Campaign Treasurer Appointment form before accepting any money or publicly announcing your campaign. Depending on whether you are a local or state filer, you will need to turn your CTA into different authorities. You will also be subject to different rules. Use this chart as a helpful guide.

Topic Local Filer State Filer
Office Type City council, mayor, school board, county commissioner, county judge, justice of the peace, etc. State representative, state senator, governor or other statewide office, judicial office, State Board of Education
Filing Authority Your local filing authority (county clerk, school district secretary, city secretary, etc.) The Texas Ethics Commission (TEC)
Where to File CTA With your local authority With the TEC
Where to File Finance Reports With your local authority With the TEC
Which Rules to Follow Local rules and state law TEC rules and state law
Electronic Filing Requirement Usually not required, varies by location Required through TEC's e-filing system. Must fill out this form to set up TEC e-filing.

If you're not sure where to file your CTA, please email us at info@texasmajoritypac.com and we'll walk you through it.

Your treasurer does not have legal responsibilities to the campaign, though you may choose to have that person complete filings or do other work for your campaign. Candidates sometimes choose respected local figures as treasurers to demonstrate community support from the beginning.

Step 3: Obtain a Federal EIN (Employer Identification Number)

You'll need to obtain an EIN before you can set up a bank account. You can easily apply online. Note that the application portal only works Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Central time.

Apply for an EIN


Step 4: Open a Campaign Bank Account

Local banks and credit unions are typically the best places to open a campaign account as they offer lower fees and personal service. Read our in depth guide on How to Open a Campaign Bank Account.


Step 5: File for a Place on the Ballot

Once you've completed the above steps, you'll need to submit an application to be on the primary ballot.

You have the option to either pay a filing fee or gather petition signatures from registered voters in your district. Filing fees range from $75-$3,750, depending on what office you're running for.

If you go the petition route, you will need to use this petition signature form. A few things to note:

  • Only registered voters within the district can sign the form.
  • A signature must have the date it was signed, signature, printed name, and date of birth or VUID.
  • An opponent can challenge your signatures and any illegible or ineligible signatures will be thrown out.
  • One petition form must be notarized and dated after the date the last signature was collected.

Make sure you gather more signatures than you need in case some get thrown out. A good rule of thumb is to collect 20% more than you need. Blue Texas highly recommends you try to gather petitions instead of just paying the filing fee—it's always good to save money, and it's good practice to start talking to voters about why you're running!

You will turn in the application form plus either the filing fee (cash, check, money order, or cashiers check are accepted) or the notarized petition forms at the same time. If your district is contained within a single county, you'll submit these materials to your county Democratic Party. If your district crosses multiple counties, you'll submit these materials to the Texas Democratic Party.

If you are submitting your materials to the TDP, mail them to:

Texas Democratic Party

PO Box 15707

Austin, TX 78761


Filing to be on the primary ballot starts on Saturday, November 8th, 2025, and closes at 6 PM CT on December 8th.