Candidate filing open now in Houston city elections; closes Wednesday
The filing period opened July 1 and runs through July 15.
What you need to know:
- Anyone seeking a seat on the Houston City Council in the October election must submit a filing packet by Wednesday, July 15.
- Two three-year City Council seats are on the ballot: Seat A, held by Jeffry Brasel, and Seat B, held by Lisa Johansen. Both incumbents say they plan to seek another term.
- Candidates must meet residency and voter registration requirements, file a declaration of candidacy and pay a $25 fee. The filing period was moved to early July under a new city law update approved in 2025.
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HOUSTON – Individuals who want to run for office in Houston this year must submit a filing packet by Wednesday.
Qualified individuals who apply by the deadline will appear on city ballots in October. An application packet is available on the city's website.
The election will fill two three-year City Council seats up for re-election this year: Seat B, currently held by Council Member Jeffry Brasel, and Seat A, currently held by Council Member Lisa Johansen.
Election Day is scheduled for Oct. 6.
Individuals who wish to run for Houston City Council must be registered to vote in the state and must have been residents of the city for at least one year before the election, according to city law.
Candidates must file a declaration of candidacy form during the filing period and pay a $25 fee, according to the city's website. Individuals who cannot afford the filing fee can request a waiver. The city clerk will review each application and respond within four days, the application says.
Houston City Council candidates are exempt from a state campaign finance law requiring business and financial interest disclosures. Candidates who plan to spend or raise more than $5,000 for their campaigns must file a series of reports with the state's Public Offices Commission.
Houston's filing period is the earliest in the region under a law approved by the City Council last year. The change moved the filing period to July 1-15, about 20 days earlier than under the previous law. The former law provided an 11-day filing window that opened 78 days before the city election, a date that typically fell in late July.
Brasel and Johansen said Friday that they plan to file for re-election.
-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com
This story was updated July 10 to accurately state the council members affiliated with Seats A and B.