State Senator (TX-11)

Employer / Organization

Texas State Senate District 11

Next Election

Nov 03, 2020

Filing Window

Nov 09, 2019 - Dec 09, 2019

Description

The Texas State Senate is comprised of 31 members, who together, encompass the upper house of the state legislature. Each district has one senator, which equates to about 806,000 constituents per elected official. Along with the house, the senate considers proposed laws, resolutions, and amendments, in addition to appropriation of all funds for the operation for the state government. Important issues discussed in the Texas senate recently include, Medicaid, water shortages, and school funding. For more detailed discussions, senators are assigned to various standing committees (14 in total) that handle matters such as agriculture, finance, and education. The senate is led by the lieutenant governor of Texas, and the President Pro Tempore serves as the second most powerful position (assumes leadership if the Lieutenant Governor is unavailable). Senators participate in one joint committee with the house, referred to as the Legislative Budget Board. Both the house and the senate have the ability to amend the Texas Constitution, if a joint resolution is achieved by at least two-thirds of the membership in each house. The senate has the exclusive right to try all impeachment charges against a state official, while the house must bring the impeachment charges against said official. Each senator serves a term of four years (with exceptions), and there is no limit on the number of terms served. The total salary of the position is estimated at $41,000 with a flat salary of $7,200 per year in addition to a $150 allowance provided to each senator for every day in session.

Application Guidelines
1) Contact the Texas Secretary of State to confirm that your registered address qualifies you for the position you intend to run for, and that you meet other office specific qualifications. 2) Complete the Declaration of Intent to Run and submit the application by the filing window. Once the March primary has ended, independent candidates may start circulating their nominating petitions, which are due to the Texas Secretary of State's office by mid-June (the date varies depending on year). Signers of the nominating petition can not have voted in the March primary, and the requirement is 500 signatures to appear for most positions on the ballot. More information can be found here, and potential candidates should speak with the Texas Secretary of State's Elections Department as soon as possible to verify the signatures and filing window. 3) Submit the nominating petition and application to the county clerk of your official residence by mid-June. If you have any questions please contact the Texas Secretary of State's Office at [email protected] or by phone at (512) 463-5650.

Submit application to:
Elections Division, Secretary of State , Austin, TX, 78711, US