Candidate filing underway

By Chris Edwards
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TYLER COUNTY – Twenty twenty-four is going to be a big election year. Aside from it being a presidential election year, several countywide positions are ready for their turns on ballots, as well as elections at the municipal level and positions with various entities, such as school boards.

The first day for candidates interested in running in the upcoming 2024 March party primaries was Nov. 11, and that period will last until Monday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m. that day. The Tyler County Clerk’s Office stated for interested candidates to submit their applications and required filing fees, depending on the office sought, to the party chairman.

The filing fees vary by the office sought and the population of a county, according to the Secretary of State’s website. In Tyler County, to seek the office of Justice of the Peace, the filing fee is $375.

In Tyler County, the chair for the Republican party is Rusty Kuciemba, who can be reached by phone at 512-477-9821, or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For candidates wishing to file for the Democratic primary, the county’s Democratic chair is Robert Wood, who can be reached at 409-283-8554 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

One race up for re-election is that of Tyler County Sheriff, which runs during presidential election years, or every four years. Incumbent Sheriff Bryan Weatherford is running for re-election, and has filed in the GOP primary, as has challenger Mike King.

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Any office-seekers who aspire to run in the primary for criminal district attorney on up to United States Senator have to file with the state chair of their respective party. In 2024, Senator Ted Cruz is up for re-election, as are all 38 members of the United States House of Representatives, who serve two-year terms. Senators serve six-year terms.

At the state level, all 150 state representatives are up for re-election. They serve two-year terms. A complete listing of all offices up for election next year can be found by accessing this link on Secretary of State Jane Nelson’s website: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/guide/2024/offices2024.shtml.

For candidates who are seeking offices in municipal elections, on school boards or water districts, the state’s election code prescribes the authority to take filings from applicants to the respective secretaries of those entities.

For voters, the dates for the March primary are Feb. 20, 2024 through March 1 for the early voting period, and primary election day occurs on Tuesday, March 5. Tuesday, May 28 is set aside in case of a run-off election is triggered.

According to the County Clerk’s office, the last day to register to vote in the March primaries is Feb. 5, 2024, and voters can request an application by contacting Roxanne Hart, the county’s voter registrar, at 409-283-2281.

The first day to apply for a ballot by mail is Jan. 1, 2024. Applicants need to contact elections coordinator Amanda Stephens at 409-331-8133, extension 1011, to request an application to be mailed, as the clerk’s office is no longer allowed to automatically send one. The request must come from the voter, themselves.