To Texans of a political bent, Saturday was the first day of 2020 — the day candidates started paying their fees, turning in their signatures and declaring their official intention to run for office next year.
This one-month chirp-or-get-off-the-perch exercise separates people who were just testing the waters from those who are actually going to jump in and run.
As the filing period rolls from now to the Dec. 9 deadline, it will reveal which incumbents are seeking reelection, who’s had enough of this public service thing and which ones are drawing serious opposition.
Some of the sentimental favorites who’ve fallen out of other races — you can guess their names — will decide whether to listen to the followers who wanted them to run for something else the whole time.
You know, before that presidential thing didn’t work out.
The election might seem far away, but the candidate filing marks a quickening of the pace of things. Candidates have a month to file. There’s an interruption in their fundraising and politicking during the year-end holidays (but here’s betting they’ll still fill your email box in that last week before the new year). On the other side, there will be just nine weeks until the March 3 primaries. And early voting starts well before then, on Feb. 18.
March 3, 2020 Primary Calendar
https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/advisory2019-16.shtml
