Sec. 161.005. ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTY OFFICES GENERALLY. (a) To be eligible to be a candidate for or to serve as a county or precinct chair of a political party, a person must:

(1) be a qualified voter of the county; and

(2) 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.

(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 a county or precinct chair 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.