On May 10, the Texas House passed HB 2504. It requires candidates nominated in convention to pay filing fees. Currently only primary candidates pay filing fees, because Texas filing fees were always intended to help pay for the election administration costs of primaries. The Libertarian Party is the only party on the ballot now that nominates by convention. In the recent past, the Green Party did also. The bill passed 77-57, with all Republicans who voted voting “yes”, and all Democrats except one who voted, voting “no.”
The bill also says that if a party polled at least 2% for any statewide race in any of the last five elections, it is ballot-qualified. If this provision becomes law, the Green Party will be on the ballot in 2020, because in 2016 it polled over 2% for Railroad Commissioner and two statewide judicial races. Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.
One Democrat voted Yea,but that is possibly by accident.
Any new party would nominate by convention. Texas is unique in combining party qualification and nomination. Some states qualify parties, who may then make nominations. Others base the qualification of parties on the success of petition candidates.
Texas machinations due in part to the Texas White Primary Cases in SCOTUS.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_primaries
Bad look for the so-called “Democratic” Party. They have no chance of winning Texas to begin with, and because of the Electoral College, it currently doesn’t matter how much they lose by. All this vote will do is drive away even more of what few democrats (lower case intentional) still vote for the “Democratic” Party, and in all probability support the Green Party instead. In short, the Democrats are doing what they do best: shooting themselves in the foot.
I hope this bill passes; I’ve been hearing that the Texas Greens would have to collect something like 80,000 signatures in 75 days in order to get back on the ballot, which is insane and even worse than Illinois’ requirements.
TX USA Senator Nov 2018
Beto O’Rourke, Democrat 4,045,632 [now a Donkey 2020 Prez candidate]
Ted Cruz, Republican 4,260,553
Neal M. Dikeman, Libertarian 65,470
folks can do the PCT math.
IE TX top monarchs/oligarchs Elephants in PANIC mode ???
Joshua, yes, Beto’s not-quite-successful run greatly upped the petition requirements here.
That said, just about every statewide Dem candidate except Lupe Valdez finished within 6-7 points of their incumbent GOP opponents.
Texas is more competitive within the duopoly than you might think.