Candidates for State Trial Court Judge - General
Learn about candidates who have filed to run for State Trial Court Judge - General.
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About State Trial Court Judge - General
About this position
- Office level
- State
- Election frequency
- Every 4 years
- Typical salary
- $140000/year
- Commitment level
- Full Time
- Affiliation
- Partisan
- Positions
- 1 open seat
Election type
- Partisan election (party labels appear on ballots)
- Run-off election
How to run for State Trial Court Judge - General
- Step 1
Meet eligibility requirements
Candidate must be a citizen of U.S. and resident of Texas; age 25 to 74; resident of the district for 2 years; and have a practicing lawyer or judge in the State, or both combined, for 8 years. During which time the judge's license to practice law has not been revoked, suspended, or subject to a probated suspension.
- Step 2
File for office
- Filing requirements
- Major party-affiliated candidates should file an application for a place on the ballot to their respective state party chair. This should be accompanied by a filing fee of $1,500. The filing fee may be waived if the petition has been signed by at least 500 valid electors. Candidates in Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Tarrant Counties have a higher filing fee of $2,500 and must also receive 250 petition signatures (or 750 in lieu of a filing fee). Minor party candidates should consult with their respective party chair to determine requirements. Independent candidates should file a Declaration of Intent to Run as an Independent Candidate during the primary filing period. In addition, independent candidates will need to collect a number of signatures equal to 5% of the number of votes cast within the district in the most recent gubernatorial election (or 500 signatures whichever is lower) in support of their application for a place on the general election ballot and submit these to the Secretary of State. All forms can be found on the Texas Secretary of State website.
- Filing period
- March 4, 2026 - April 2, 2026
- Paperwork instructions
- Submit paperwork to the office of the county party chair; Independent candidates must submit paperwork to the county judge's office.
- Where to file
- Independents: James E. Rudder Bldg. 1019 Brazos St. Austin, Texas 78701; Republicans: 211 E. 7th Street, Suite 915 Austin, Texas 78701; Democrats: 1106 Lavaca Street, #100 Austin, Texas 78701
- Filing phone
- Independent: 800.252.8683; Republicans: (512) 478-9800; Democrats: (512) 477-9821
- Step 3
Launch your campaign
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