State Senator (TX-9)

Employer / Organization

Texas State Senate District 9

Next Election

Nov 08, 2022

Filing Window

Nov 13, 2021 - Dec 13, 2021

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 “per diem” which is an allowance of $150 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. For the 2018 election, once the run off election following the March primary is over (if held, if not then directly after the primary), independent candidates may start circulating their nominating petitions, which are due to the Texas Secretary of State's office by mid-June. Signers of the nominating petition must not have voted in the March primary, and there will be a predetermined amount of signatures set by the state legislature. 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 Declaration of Intent to Run within 108-78 days prior to the primary election and submit the nominating petition and application to the county clerk of your official residence within the timeframe given by the Texas Secretary of State's office. 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