The Attorney General of Texas
June 8, 1978
JOHN L. HILL
Attorney General
Honorable Gibson D. Lewis, Chairman Opinion No. H- 117.8
Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs
House of Representatives Re: Whether articles 13.57 and
P. 0. Box 2910 14.10, Election Code, prohibit the
Austin, Texas 78769 use of names which are similar
to the names of political parties.
Dear Mr. Lewis:
You have provided us with newspaper clippings which indicate that two
organizations, the Harris County Democrats and the Tarrant County
Democrats, have endorsed candidates for election in the democratic primary.
You ask if such endorsements violate either article 13.57 or article 14.10 of
the Election Code. Article 13.57 provides:
No new political party shall assume the name of any
preexisting party; and the party name printed on the
official ballot shall not consist of more than three
words. As used in this section, the term “preexisting
party” does not include a political party ‘which is no
longer in existence.
The term political party is not specifically defined in the Election Code;
however, it is clear that the term is meant to refer to an organization which
nominates individuals for election on a general election ballot. See, e.&,
Election Code, 13.01a, 13.02, 13.45, 13.54;~ Attorney General Opinion M-215
(19681 (holding that a political party no longer existed when it had not
appeared on the general election ballot since 1920). We believe that
organizations such as the ones you name which do not nominate candidates
for a general election ballot are not political parties. Accordingly, article
13.57 is inapplicable to them.
Article 14.10, Election Code, provides in part:
(A) (1) It is unlawful for an individual to misrepresent
his identity or, if acting or purporting to act as an
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Honorable Gibson D. Lewis - Page 2 (H-1178)
agent for any person, to misrepresent the identity of that
person in any written or oral communication relating to the
campaign of the candidate for nomination or election to a
public office or election to the office of a political party or
relating to the success or defeat of any ballot measure with
the intent to injure any candidate or to influence the vote on
the measure.
(2) It is unlawful for any person to issue any communication
relating to the candidacy of a person for nomination or
election to a public office or election to the office of a
political party or relating to the.success or defeat of any
ballot measure, which purports to emanate from any source
other than its true source.
While we do not resolve disputed questions of fact, in the examples you pose
there is no indication that the organizations used anything other than their rightful
names in publicizing their endorsements or issued any communication purporting to
emanate from a source other than its true source. We are not prepared to indicate
that any use of a word such as “democrats” or “republicans” in an organization’s
name when the organization is not an official political party is unlawful.
SUMMARY
Mere use of the term ‘democrat” or “republican” in an
organization’s name is not a violation of articles 13.57 or
14.10 of the Election Code.
APPROVED:
NDALL, First Assistant
Opinion Committee
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