(a) To be eligible to be a candidate for or to serve as an officer of a political party, a person must:
(1) except as provided by Subsection (c), not be a candidate for nomination or election to, or be the holder of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government; and
(2) if the office is a county or precinct chair of a political party, be a qualified voter of the county.
(a-1) For purposes of this section, the following are officers of a political party:
(1) a precinct chair;
(2) a county chair; and
(3) a member, a chair, or a vice chair of a state executive committee of a political party.
(b) For purposes of this section, a person becomes a candidate at the earliest time at which one of the following occurs:
(1) the person files:
(A) a declaration of intent to run as an independent candidate;
(B) an application for a place on a primary or general election ballot or for nomination by a convention; or
(C) a declaration of write-in candidacy; or
(2) the person is nominated by a convention or executive committee.
(c) A candidate for nomination or election to, or the holder of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government is eligible to serve as an officer of a political party to which Chapter 181 applies.