For Candidates (Federal, State, and County Level)

Since the filing period is not open, you can only declare that you intend to run for an office during the 2026 Democratic Primary. Also, we will be updating this page with the latest information as we get closer to the filing period.

Here are some essential items to know

When Do I File? 

The filing period for the 2026 Democratic Primary will start on November 8, 2025, and end at 6:00 p.m. on December 8, 2025. During this period, you can either pay the filing fee or submit the signatures required to file for the primary. This page will have up-to-the-minute candidates who filed, and you can also find them at the Secretary of State. 

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- Important FAQs about Filling - 

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What form do I use?  
 

For NON JUDICIAL Candidates: you will use this form

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For JUDICIAL Candidates: you will use this form 

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For FEDERAL Candidates, you will use this form

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What are the filing fees for running? 
You can click here to view the amount of the filing fee for office.  

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What if I want to do a petition? 
Every candidate is welcome to file though petition instead of filing fees (petition form).  For countywide office, the threshold needed are 500 signatures and for district offices it will vary on the amount of voters.  You should contact the Texas Secretary of State for all rules and regulations on petition signatures.   

Is there a period to collect signatures? 
No, you can start collecting now, however, per statue at the time of signing, [The signer] is a registered voter of the territory from which the office sought is elected or has been issued a registration certificate for a registration that will become effective in that territory on or before the date of the applicable election (TX Election Code Sec. 141.063)

Filing Your Campaign Treasurer 

Before accepting contributions or making expenditures, you should file a campaign treasurer. By statute, after you raise or spend $500, you must have a campaign treasurer on file. You can do this at any time. The El Paso County Democratic Party will try to answer any questions; however, you should contact the Texas Ethics Commission for any rules and laws regarding donations, expenditures, reporting, and other items. 

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- Some FAQs about Campaign Finance - 

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When can I file my campaign treasurer?  
Anytime! And this should be the first thing you do if you plan on running for office. 

If you're running at the County Level (Justice of the Peace, District and County Clerk, County Court at Law, County Judge, Commissioners), in that case, you will file your campaign treasurer report with the El Paso County Elections Department. 

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If you're running for a State level office (State District Judge, State Representative, State Senator), you will file with the Texas Ethics Commission.

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For federal candidates, you will need to contact the Federal Election Commission. 

Can I be my own Treasurer? 
Yes

Do I have to open a new bank account? 
Yes! By statute, you must keep any political money separate from your personal or business bank accounts. Because of this, you will have to create an EIN number with the IRS to open an account.

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Are there campaign contribution limits?
There are no campaign contribution limits except for federal and judicial candidates (for which you should contact the Texas Ethics Commission or the Federal Election Commission). 

Also, you cannot accept any corporate donations (PC and LLCs are fine as long as they are not an IRS-recognized corporation) 

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What form do I use to file my treasurer's report? 
Click this link from the Texas Ethics Commission for all the forms. 

For County and Precinct Chairs

If you want to run for party office, you must also file for office, since both Precinct and County Chairs are elected during the primary.  Here are some essential notes about running for party offices. 

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Filing Dates:

For Precinct Chairs: the filing date will start earlier on Tuesday, September 9th;

For County Chair, the filing date will start on November 8th.

The deadline is the same for everyone: December 8th at 6:00 p.m.  

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Do I have to file with the Texas Ethics Commission? 
We believe that if you spend over $500 on your race for Precinct Chair, you will have to file a report with the TEC. You should contact them about the rules for precinct chairs.  

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COUNTY CHAIR CANDIDATES must file a treasurer's report with the Texas Ethics Commission.

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Are there filing fees to run? 
No 

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Which form do I use to file? 
Here is the form for the party office. 

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