The strength of the Texas Democratic Party springs from the dedication and hard work of people who take a leadership role in their local Democratic Party. Our County Chairs and Precinct Chairs provide critical support to Democratic campaigns and are essential to turning out the Democratic vote and winning electoral victories.
County Chairs
The 254 county Democratic parties, which are headed by our current County Chairs, are the focal points of campaign and Party building activities. County Chairs have numerous responsibilities, including leading their county’s Executive Committee; working closely with candidates, precinct chairs, and the TDP Staff; conducting primary elections and certifying results; and building a network of volunteers and precinct chairs to get out the vote in November.
Term of Office and Qualifications
To be eligible for the office of county chair, an individual must meet these requirements:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a qualified voter who is affiliated with the Democratic Party in the voting year
- Be a resident of the county from which he or she is seeking election
- Not be a candidate for or holder of an elective office of the federal, state, or county government
- (Optional but highly desirable) have Internet and e-mail capabilities and basic computer skills
Filing for Office
The county chair is a publicly elected party official and is elected by voters in the Democratic Primary Election (or in the runoff election, if no candidate gets a majority in the general primary). A qualified individual interested in running for county chair must do the following:
- Download a filing form (click here), or obtain one from your county chair, the secretary of the County Party, or from the State Party
- Complete the application
- Sign the application before a notary public
- Have the filing form notarized
- Submit the application to the county chair.
The form may be submitted in either of two ways:
– Hand the completed, signed, and notarized application to the county chair; or
– Mail the completed, signed, and notarized application to county chair (must be received by the filing deadline)
In very large counties (population greater than 1 million), submit a petition containing the signatures of 10 percent of the current precinct chairs in the county. For a copy of the petition, please contact the state party.
If the county chair is running for reelection, the county chair keeps the application.
The names of county chair candidates appear on the Democratic Primary Ballot. Write-in votes are permitted in the primary, whether or not there are other candidates on the ballot, providing the candidates must have filed their write-in candidacies. Write-in votes are not permitted in a runoff.
Filing for county chair occurs during the period of filing for candidates running in the Democratic Primary.
Precinct Chairs
The 254 counties in Texas are further divided into voter precincts, each led by a Precinct Chair. Precinct Chairs are the lifeblood of the Democratic Party. They sit on their county’s Executive Committees, help conduct Party business in their counties, and play a critical role in contacting Democratic voters in their individual precincts. There is no more important job in the Democratic Party.
Term of Office and Qualifications
The precinct chair is an elected party official. The term of office for a precinct chair is two years, beginning on the 20th day following the Primary runoff election. The County Executive Committee fills vacancies for unexpired terms.
A precinct chair should be an outgoing, self-motivated person who likes people. To be eligible for the office of precinct chair, an individual must meet these requirements:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a qualified voter who has affiliated with the Democratic Party in the voting year
- Be a resident of the precinct from which he or she is seeking election
- Not be a candidate for or holder of an elective office of the federal, state, or county government
- (Optional, but highly desirable) have Internet and e-mail capabilities and basic computer skills
Filing for Office
A qualified individual interested in running for precinct chair must do the following:
- Download a filing form, or obtain one from your county chair or county party secretary
- Complete the application
- Sign the application before a notary public
- Have the form notarized
- Submit the application to the County Chair (Filing begins September 10, 2013 and ends December 9, 2013).
- Check the filing deadline when you pick up your application. The completed, signed, and notarized application may be mailed to the county chair, but it must be received by the filing deadline.
Only contested candidates for Precinct chair appear on the Democratic Primary ballot. Write-in votes for precinct chair are not permitted.
