Texas Democrats

The strength of the Texas Democratic Party is derived from the passion and hard work of grassroots Democrats who take a leadership role in their County 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.

The 254 county Democratic parties, which are headed by 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.  You can view a current list of county chairs by clicking here, and if you are interested in becoming a county chair, please view the information below.

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, and if you're interested in becoming a Precinct Chair, please view the information below.

County Chairs:

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 has voted in the latest Democratic primary (not counting runoffs) 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 precinct 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, 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 in the period that begins in early December and ends at 6:00 PM on the first business day in January The specific opening date is 30 days before the first business day in January of an election year. The form may be submitted in either of two ways:
  • Hand the completed, signed, and notarized application to the county chair
  • Optionally, mail the completed, signed, and notarized application to county chair, but it must be received by the filing deadline
  • In very large counties (population greater than 1 million), submit a petition containing the signatures of 15 percent of the current precinct chairs in the county. For a copy of the petition, please contact your County Chair.

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.

Precinct Chairs:

Term of Office and Qualifications

The precinct chair is a publicly elected party official and is elected by precinct voters in the Democratic Primary Election (or in the runoff election, if no candidate gets a majority in the first primary).  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 voted in the latest Democratic primary (not counting runoffs) 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 in the period that begins in late October and ends at 6:00 PM on the first business day in January
• 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 permitted in the primary, whether or not there are other candidates on the ballot, but not in a runoff. Write-in candidates must have filed their write-in candidacies.