Texas Had A Resign-To-Run Law That Tano Tijerina Appeared To Be Intentionally, And Actively, Circumventing

Per Texas Law, Local Texas Officeholders, Including County Judges, Automatically Resigned Their Posts If They Became A Candidate For Another Office With More Than 13 Months Left In Their Current Term

Article 16, Section 65 Of The Texas Constitution Stipulated That Officeholders Of Certain Positions, Including County Judges, Automatically Resigned Their Post If They Aspired For Another Office With More Than 13 Months Left In Their Term. “ARTICLE 16. GENERAL PROVISIONS Sec. 65. AUTOMATIC RESIGNATION ON BECOMING CANDIDATE FOR ANOTHER OFFICE. (a) This section applies to the following offices: District Clerks; County Clerks; County Judges; Judges of the County Courts at Law, County Criminal Courts, County Probate Courts and County Domestic Relations Courts; County Treasurers; Criminal District Attorneys; County Surveyors; County Commissioners; Justices of the Peace; Sheriffs; Assessors and Collectors of Taxes; District Attorneys; County Attorneys; Public Weighers; and Constables. (b) If any of the officers named herein shall announce their candidacy, or shall in fact become a candidate, in any General, Special or Primary Election, for any office of profit or trust under the laws of this State or the United States other than the office then held, at any time when the unexpired term of the office then held shall exceed one year and 30 days, such announcement or such candidacy shall constitute an automatic resignation of the office then held, and the vacancy thereby created shall be filled pursuant to law in the same manner as other vacancies for such office are filled.” [Texas Constitution, accessed 7/1/25]

In An Interview, Tijerina Said His Term As Webb County Judge Expired On December 31, 2026. TIJERINA: “But in the local levels, you have your you have your council members, you have your school board members, you have your Commissioner's court.” INTERVIEWER: “You can’t hold an office and run for another.” TIJERINA: “That is correct, and the way the law is written is a year and 30 days prior to your last day in office.” INTERVIEWER: “In office, not an election day to prior office, right? So when is that for you currently? When does your term as county judge end?” TIJERINA: “December 31, 2026.” [KGNS, 9:19, 6/29/25] (VIDEO)

Tijerina Signaled His Interest In Running For Congress But Said, “If I Announce [For Congress], Right Now, Today, I Would Lose My County Judge Seat.”

Tijerina: “If I Announce, Right Now, Today, I Would Lose My County Judge Seat.” TIJERINA: “But I'll tell you right now my I'm considering it greatly, but the way it works, and this is most important part of your answer, the answer, it's a resign to run. You see, if I announce right now today, I would lose my county judge seat. Texas is probably one of the only states in the state, in the United States that and there's some other ones, but almost all of them are pretty much you could run for whatever you want, whenever you want, and you won't lose your seat. Texas is a little different. Your district judges, anybody that works for Texas, your state legislators, your senators, your governor, your lieutenant governor, they could run for whatever they want, and they won't lose their seat. But in the local levels, you have your you have your council members, you have your school board members, you have your Commissioner's court. You can hold an office and run for another that is correct, and the way the law is written is a year and 30 days prior to your last day in office.” [KGNS, 8:31, 6/29/25] (VIDEO)

Tijerina Said The Reason He Made An Exploratory Committee Was So He Could Remain In Office As Webb County Judge While Running For Office. “INTERVIEWER: So you could, if you were to announce officially, you would do it sometime after December 1 of this year? TIJERINA: potentially. INTERVIEWER: Potentially that's when you could say, and that would not, that would not require you to leave your county. TIJERINA: That is correct. See, that is correct. And so that is the reason why we did an exploratory committee. I've been, I've been working on this, you know, for a good while now, and it's something that I've been really contemplating on doing. And I just think it's disheartening, and it's very disappointing.” [KGNS, 9:38, 6/29/25] (VIDEO)

• When Pressed On His Timeline To Announce His Official Run For Congress, Tijerina Said “That Is The Reason We Did An Exploratory Committee. I’ve Been, I’ve Been Working On This, You Know, For A Good While Now, And It’s Something That I’ve Been Really Contemplating Doing.” “INTERVIEWER: So you could, if you were to announce officially, you would do it sometime after December 1 of this year? TIJERINA: potentially. INTERVIEWER: Potentially that's when you could say, and that would not, that would not require you to leave your county. TIJERINA: That is correct. See, that is correct. And so that is the reason why we did an exploratory committee. I've been, I've been working on this, you know, for a good while now, and it's something that I've been really contemplating on doing. And I just think it's disheartening, and it's very disappointing.” [KGNS, 9:38, 6/29/25] (VIDEO)