Texas SB 817 passed the Senate unanimously on April 17. It has a hearing in the House Elections Committee on May 6. It is sponsored by Senator Glenn Hegar (R-Katy). It says that parties that nominate by convention would have their state nominating convention in April instead of June. It has no effect on the petitioning process itself or the petition deadline. The party desires this change because party nominees would have an easier time campaigning for the general election if they were “officially” nominees earlier in the year.

The bill also permits a party that nominates by convention to allow its nominees to hold the office of chair of the county party. Current law forbids individuals from simultaneously being candidates and party county chairmen, but the bill relaxes that, for parties that nominate by convention. Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.