Judicial Campaign Fundraising Period
2020 General Election
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR JUDICIAL CANDIDATES AND OFFICEHOLDERS
A candidate subject to the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act must file a campaign treasurer appointment (Form JCTA) with the proper filing authority before accepting a campaign contribution or making or authorizing a campaign expenditure. NOTE: The Judicial Campaign Fairness Act applies to political contributions and expenditures in connection with the office of chief justice or justice, supreme court; presiding judge or judge, court of criminal appeals; chief justice or justice, court of appeals; district judge; judge, statutory county court; or judge, statutory probate court.
Limited Time Period for Accepting Contributions. A candidate subject to the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act may accept political contributions (campaign contributions or officeholder contributions) only during a limited time period.
Beginning Date. Candidates seeking an office that will be filled at the November 3, 2020, general election may accept political contributions during a time period that begins on May 13, 2019. (A write-in candidate may begin accepting contributions only after filing a declaration of write-in candidacy with the secretary of state or county judge, as applicable.)
Ending Date. The last day to accept political contributions is one of the following, as applicable:
- July 1, 2020, for candidates who lost in the primary election.
- September 23, 2020, for candidates who lost in the primary runoff election.
- March 3, 2021, for candidates who last appeared on the ballot in the general election.
2019 Judicial District Populations. The restrictions in the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act include contribution and expenditure limits, which may vary according to the population of the judicial district.
Other Restrictions. Candidates and officeholders subject to the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act are subject to various campaign finance restrictions that do not apply to nonjudicial candidates and officeholders. For more information, see the Campaign Finance Guide for Judicial Candidates and Officeholders.