How to Run for Mayor in Texas

To run for mayor of a Texas city that votes on Saturday, May 1, 2027, you file a sworn application for a place on the ballot with the city secretary between Wednesday, January 13, 2027 and 5 p.m. on Friday, February 12, 2027. Before you file, check the residence rule for your city. In most cities you must have lived in Texas for 12 months and in the city for six months before the filing deadline, and be a registered voter of the city by that deadline. Some cities require more: a Type A general-law city requires 12 months in the city before election day, and a home-rule charter may require up to 12 months.

Mayoral races are nonpartisan unless a home-rule charter provides otherwise, so every candidate goes straight to the May ballot. Most cities charge no filing fee and require no petition, but a home-rule charter may. Some cities elect their mayor in November rather than May, and not every city has a mayor's race every year. This guide covers each step in order, with citations to the Texas Election Code and Local Government Code. Dates calculated from the statutes are marked "based on state law." Confirm everything with your city secretary.

For the full picture of a 2027 Texas race, see our guide to running for local office in Texas.

Step 1: Find out whether the mayor's seat is on the 2027 ballot

Check the term. Texas city officers serve two-year terms unless the city has adopted longer terms of up to four years, by charter in a home-rule city or by a vote of the residents in a general-law city (Texas Constitution, Article XI, Section 11). A Type B city's mayor serves one year unless the council has adopted two-year staggered terms by ordinance (Local Government Code Section 23.026). A mayor with a four-year term may not be on the ballot in 2027.

Check the date. Some cities hold their elections on the November uniform date. If your city votes on Tuesday, November 2, 2027, the Secretary of State lists a filing period of Saturday, July 17 to 5 p.m. on Monday, August 16, 2027, and notes that those dates may change after the 2027 legislative session.

Read the filing notice. By Monday, December 14, 2026, the city must post a notice of the filing period that names an email address for filing (Election Code Section 141.040).

Step 2: Understand the job your city's mayor does

The mayor's role depends on the kind of city.

• Type A general-law city. The mayor presides at council meetings and, except in elections, votes only to break a tie (Local Government Code Section 22.037).
• Type B general-law city. The mayor is the president of the governing body (Local Government Code Section 23.027).
• Type C general-law city. The governing body is the mayor and two commissioners.
• Home-rule city. The charter sets the mayor's powers and duties. Read the charter's sections on the mayor and the council before you decide to run, because they define what you can promise voters you will do.

Your city secretary can tell you which type your city is and where to find the charter.

Step 3: Check that you qualify

All candidates for mayor in your city must meet the same qualifications. The application is a sworn statement that you meet them.

The general rule. Election Code Section 141.001 requires a candidate to be a United States citizen, at least 18 on the first day of the term, and free of a final felony conviction unless pardoned or otherwise released from its disabilities. It also bars a person found by a final court judgment to be totally mentally incapacitated, or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote. Unless a different rule applies, you must have lived continuously in Texas for 12 months and in the city for six months before the filing deadline, and be registered to vote in the city by that deadline. For May 1, 2027, that means living in Texas since at least February 12, 2026 and in the city since at least August 12, 2026 (based on state law).

Rules by city type, as summarized by the Secretary of State:

• Type A mayor: a registered voter who has lived within the city limits for at least the 12 months before election day (Local Government Code Section 22.032), plus one year in the state before the filing deadline. For May 1, 2027, that means living in the city since at least May 1, 2026 (based on state law).
• Type B mayor: a qualified voter who has lived in the city for at least the six months before election day (Local Government Code Section 23.024).
• Type C mayor: the general rule.
• Home-rule mayor: the general rule if the charter is silent. A charter may set an age of up to 21 and require up to 12 months of residence in the state or city before election day, but no more (Election Code Section 141.003).

Registration. Your registration must be in effect by the filing deadline. The Secretary of State lists Tuesday, January 12, 2027 as the last day for candidates to register or update their registration. If your home was annexed into the city, time you lived there before annexation counts toward the city residence requirement (Election Code Section 141.004).

Step 4: Check for a filing fee or petition

The Secretary of State says most local political subdivisions require neither a filing fee nor a petition. A home-rule charter may require a filing fee, and if it does, it must also provide an alternative, such as a petition (Election Code Section 143.005).

For a home-rule city petition, the minimum number of signatures is 25 or one-half of one percent of the total votes cast for mayor at the most recent mayoral general election, whichever is greater. As an example only: if 8,000 votes were cast for mayor in the last mayoral election, one-half of one percent is 40, so the minimum would be 40 signatures. Your city secretary can tell you the actual figure. Signers must be registered voters of the city, and the person collecting signatures must witness each one (Sections 141.063 and 141.064). Any fee or petition must be filed together with the application.

Step 5: File your application

The Secretary of State's form is Form 2-49, the Application for a Place on the Ballot for a General Election for a City, School District or Other Political Subdivision. Sign it before a notary public or another person authorized to give oaths. For city offices, the city secretary may administer the oath. File it from January 13 to 5 p.m. on February 12, in person, by mail, or by email or fax if no fee is due. A mailed application counts only when it is received. Our post on the Texas application for a place on the ballot covers every line. Check with the Texas Ethics Commission for any other filings.

After filing closes, write-in declarations are due at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 16, 2027, and the last day to withdraw is Friday, February 19, 2027 at 5 p.m. (both based on state law). If no one files for a mayor's seat with a four-year term, filing for it stays open until 5 p.m. on Friday, March 5, 2027 (Election Code Section 143.008). If you are the only candidate, and every other race on your city's ballot is also unopposed, the council declares the unopposed candidates elected and the election is not held (Election Code Sections 2.051 to 2.053).

Step 6: Run a citywide campaign

A mayoral race covers the whole city, so it needs more volunteers than a district race. The voter dates that frame the spring are the end of voter registration on Thursday, April 1, 2027, early voting from Monday, April 19 to Tuesday, April 27, 2027 as listed by the Secretary of State, and election day on Saturday, May 1, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A 2025 law, Senate Bill 2753, may change early voting dates once it takes effect, so confirm the schedule with your city secretary or county elections office.

Divide the city into areas and recruit a volunteer lead for each. Beacon, a door-to-door canvassing app, lets you draw those areas as turf on a map, assign them to volunteers, give canvassers walk lists ordered by distance, and see the result recorded at each door. For a general look at what a mayoral race can cost, see our post on how to run for mayor.

Plan for a runoff. A city with terms longer than two years must elect its officers by majority vote (Texas Constitution, Article XI, Section 11), and some charters require a majority in any case. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two meet in a runoff (Election Code Sections 2.021 and 2.023) on a Saturday the Secretary of State designates, between Monday, May 31 and Tuesday, June 15, 2027 (based on state law).

Step 7: Keep supporters informed by text

1. Settle your committee and Campaign Verify. Campaign Verify confirms to the carriers (the mobile phone companies) that a political sender is a real campaign. It needs a 527 committee (the federal tax status of a political committee) with an EIN (its federal tax ID number) and a filing with an election authority that is published online. Check that your filing is viewable online before you request, and ask Campaign Verify Support if it is not. It costs $95, a request made on or after Sunday, November 15, 2026 lasts until January 31, 2029, and Campaign Verify decides eligibility.
2. Open your CampaignCNX+ account. CampaignCNX+ files your carrier registration, as 10DLC (the registration for texting from a standard local-style number) or toll-free, and files your Campaign Verify token with it. For a toll-free number, the carrier review usually takes about three business days.
3. Text only people who agreed in writing. Record the consent date and source in a custom field, and tag supporters by area of the city.
4. Schedule reminders within quiet hours. Texts send only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient's time zone, and STOP replies are handled automatically.

Hi [First name], it's [Name], running for Mayor of [City]. Election day is Sat, May 1. Polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reply STOP to opt out.

100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month. For more wording, see our campaign text templates for local races, and for the rules that apply in every state, see our political texting guide.

Start with the charter

Read your city's charter or ask the city secretary for the rules on residence, fees and runoffs before January 13. When you are ready to keep supporters informed across the city, start a CampaignCNX+ trial.