Congratulations! Texas needs qualified people who are willing to put themselves out there to represent us. So, thanks!

BEFORE you announce publicly your definite intent to run in a particular election, before you raise or spend any money and before you file your application for a place on the ballot, you must have a campaign treasurer appointment (Form CTA) on file with the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC). That is filed via email. You also need to file a Form Security-CF to get into the electronic filing application used by the TEC, because then you will need to file periodic campaign finance reports electronically.

Contact me and we can talk about whether you would qualify for modified reporting – which limits the number of reports you have to file – and other considerations as you run for office.

Good for you! Our communities need qualified people who are willing to put themselves out there – and often volunteer their time, energy and expertise for little or no pay – to help them. So, thanks!

BEFORE you announce publicly your definite intent to run in a particular election, before you raise or spend any money and before you file your application for a place on the ballot, you must have a campaign treasurer appointment (Form CTA) on file with your local filing authority. That can be filed in person or sometimes via email. Then you will need to file periodic campaign finance reports. These documents are typically filed on paper by hand delivery or sometimes via email.

Yes, you do! Even if you never plan to raise or spend any money at all, you still have to file a CTA and at least one campaign finance report. It’s not hard, but it has to be done or you will be in violation of the code. Contact me if you want this explained in further detail, or if you would like me to file these documents for you.

No. You also have to file your application for a place on the ballot and possibly other things that are controlled by either the Texas Secretary of State and/or your local filing authority. The Texas Ethics Commission only has jurisdiction over certain parts of running for office, such as treasurer appointments, campaign finance reports, political advertising and personal financial statements. Filing your CTA does not get you on the ballot. If this is unclear, contact me!

For any contribution over $110 (this amount is adjusted annually for inflation and will be $120 in 2027) or a contribution of any amount that is accepted electronically, you must obtain the name, address, date and amount of every contribution, because you will be required to report all of that information on your campaign finance report. Certain statewide and/or judicial candidates and officeholders must also report the principal occupation, job title and/or employer information for any contributions over a certain amount.

Feel free to use this simple spreadsheet to collect that information during your fundraising activities, and contact me to discuss whether you need to collect that additional information: Download Contributions Chart (PDF)

That depends on what you are running for. State law only sets contribution limits for judicial candidates and officeholders. Otherwise, there are no contribution limits set at the state level. That being said, local filing authorities have the right – and often do – set their own contribution levels. Contact me if you want more information on the contribution limits set at the state level; contact your local filing authority to see if they have contribution limits.

You can accept cash contributions, but only up to $100 per person per reporting period. You cannot accept anonymous contributions of any amount, so don’t pass the hat or leave a jar on a table for people to put money in. You also cannot hold a raffle at your fundraising event; see this link on the Texas Attorney General’s website for more information.

NO! Not under any circumstances. There are no exceptions to this, so don’t do it. If you do, both you and the corporation or labor organization could be in some trouble. Texas law strictly prohibits candidates and officeholders from accepting contributions from corporations or labor organizations. This includes both monetary contributions and in-kind contributions.

Some political action committees can use corporate or labor organization contributions to benefit a candidate or officeholder, but there are restrictions on that, too. Contact me if you want to discuss how this can be done while adhering to Texas’ statutes regarding the prohibition on accepting corporate or labor organization contributions.

A Texas political action committee is defined as “two or more persons acting in concert with a principal purpose of accepting political contributions or making political expenditures.” It is easy to meet this definition, and once you do, you may have filing obligations. Contact me to discuss it further.

Once you meet the definition of a PAC, whether you have filing obligations depends on the level of political activity that your group has in relation to their other activities and how much they have raised or spent in political activity. If you don’t meet any of these thresholds, you may not need to file anything. But if you do, your filing obligations start as soon as you cross any one of them.

You would need to file a treasurer appointment and periodic campaign finance reports just like candidates and officeholders. Contact me to discuss this further.

Where a PAC files their treasurer appointment and campaign finance reports depends on what type of PAC they are. There are two types: general-purpose and specific-purpose. All general-purpose PACs (commonly called GPACs) file with the Texas Ethics Commission. Specific-purpose PACs (commonly called SPACs) typically file with the authority where the candidate/officeholder/measure they support or oppose files. Contact me for more information, because if you file your paperwork with the wrong filing authority, it may not be valid.

A disclosure statement (also commonly called a disclaimer) is needed on anything that meets the definition of political advertising. It must include the words “Political Advertising” or an acceptable abbreviation and the full name of the person(s)/entity(ies) that either paid for it or authorized it. There are some exceptions to this rule.

Contact me so I can help you determine if your item meets the definition of political advertising and does not fit into one of the exceptions and if so, what your disclosure statement should contain.

This is not an easy question! Most statewide candidates and officeholders have to file a PFS. Some local candidates and officeholders who are running or serve in a location which has a population over a certain level may also be required to file a PFS.

For most candidates, the PFS is due on or before February 12th of the year they are running for office. For most officeholders, the PFS is due on or before April 30th.

Some local filing authorities have their own separate financial information disclosures which may or may not be tied to the population in your area. Contact me if you need help determining if you need to file a PFS and if so, when it is due.

To be honest, a LOT. This is not something you can leave until the last minute. The PFS form requires you to report various financial details about you and often your spouse and dependent children. The information required includes, but is definitely not limited to:

• Occupational income
• Stocks, bonds and mutual funds
• Rental, interest, royalties or dividend income
• Personal notes and leases
• Real property interests
• Business entity information

The TEC has Excel templates to help you provide the information, but you must use these templates or fill the information out manually in the form; you cannot just attach a statement from your financial advisor.

I’ve prepared and reviewed many PFSs. I’d be more than happy to help you through this process, so contact me!

A lobbyist governed by state law is generally defined as someone who communicates directly with a member of the legislative or executive branch to influence legislation or administrative action. State law only covers individuals who communicate with someone in Texas’ state legislative or executive branches. Individuals who communicate directly with local filing authorities are not governed by state law; contact your local filing authority for further information.

Meeting the definition of a lobbyist may still not require you to file reports with the TEC. You also have to meet or exceed certain compensation, time and/or expenditure thresholds. And then, when you register, whether you file on the regular or modified schedule depends on the level of lobbying activity you have.

It can get complicated; I can help!

Of course! I would be happy to help, whether it is a quick question or complicated filings. You can call or text me at 512-666-8816, or send me an email at patti@shannonreports.com.