Section 232.003 - Contestee: General Rule(a) If a contested election is for nomination or election to an office for which only one person is to be nominated or elected, the contestee is: (1) the opposing candidate who is officially determined to be nominated or elected, or in the case of a tie for the most votes, each of the opposing tied candidates; or(2) if the final official canvass shows that a runoff election is necessary to decide the nomination or election: (A) each of the opposing candidates shown by the canvass to be entitled to or tied for a place on the runoff ballot if the contestant is not so entitled or tied; or(B) the opposing candidate or candidates shown by the canvass to be entitled to or tied for a place on the runoff ballot if the contestant is so entitled or tied.(b) If a contested election is for election to an office for which more than one person is to be elected from the same set of candidates, any one or more of the candidates who are officially determined to be elected or to be tied with another candidate for election may be a contestee. The court may require the joinder of any of the candidates who are not named as contestees.(c) Except as provided by Section 232.004 or 232.005, this section is exclusive as to the persons who may be named contestee in an election contest.Tex. Elec. Code § 232.003
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, Sec. 1, eff. 1/1/1986.