[House Report 119-54]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-54
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DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST RELATING TO THE
OFFICE OF REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE THIRTIETH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF TEXAS
_______
April 9, 2025.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
_______
Mr. Steil, from the Committee on House Administration,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H. Res. 311]
The Committee on House Administration, having had under
consideration an original resolution dismissing the election
contest relating to the office of Representative from the
Thirtieth Congressional District of Texas, reports the same to
the House with the recommendation that the resolution be agreed
to.
DISMISSING THE ELECTION CONTEST IN THE THIRTIETH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF TEXAS
The Committee on House Administration, having had under
consideration an original resolution dismissing the election
contest in the Thirtieth District of Texas, reports the same to
the House with the recommendation that the resolution be agreed
to.
COMMITTEE ACTION
On March 11, 2025, by voice vote, a quorum being present,
the Committee agreed to a motion to report the resolution
favorably to the House.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS
In compliance with House rule XIII, clause 3(c)(1), the
Committee states that the findings and recommendations of the
Committee, based on oversight activities under House rule X,
clause 2(b)(1), are incorporated into the general discussion
section of this report.
STATEMENT OF BUDGET AUTHORITY AND RELATED ITEMS
The resolution does not provide new budget authority, new
spending authority, new credit authority, or an increase or
decrease in revenues or tax expenditures and a statement under
House rule XIII, clause 3(c)(2) and section 308(a)(1) of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 is not required.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
In compliance with House rule XIII, clause 3(c)(3), the
Committee states that the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office did not submit a cost estimate and comparison under
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
STATEMENT OF FACTS
On January 3, 2025, Jrmar Jefferson (``Contestant'') filed
a Notice of Contest with the Clerk of the House of
Representatives pursuant to the Federal Contested Elections Act
(FCEA).\1\ Contestant ran as a Libertarian for the office of
Representative to the United States Congress representing the
Thirtieth Congressional District of the State of Texas in the
November 5, 2024, general election. The other principal
candidate for the Thirtieth Congressional District was
incumbent Democrat Jasmine Crockett (``Contestee''). On
November 25, 2024, the Texas Secretary of State, Jane Nelson,
along with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, issued a Certificate of
Election to the Clerk of the House of Representatives,
certifying Contestee as the winner of the Thirtieth
Congressional District.
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\1\2 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 381-96.
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BASIS OF CONTEST
In his Notice of Contest, Contestant alleges that the
official application for office filed by Contestee was flawed
due to its inclusion of a non-Texas or ``out of state'' notary,
in violation of Texas state law. Contestant further alleged
that Contestee's post filing activities are thus unlawful and
fraudulent.
STANDING
To have standing under the FCEA, a contestant must have
been a candidate for election to the House of Representatives
in the last preceding election and claim a right to the
Contestee's seat.\2\ Contestant was the Libertarian nominee and
his name appeared as a candidate for the Thirtieth
Congressional District on the official ballot for the November
5, 2024 election, thereby satisfying the standing requirement.
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\2\2 U.S.C. Sec. 382(a).
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TIMING/NOTICE
FCEA requires that a contestant ``shall, within thirty days
after the result of such election shall have been declared by
the officer or Board of Canvassers authorized by law to declare
such result, file with the Clerk and serve upon the contestee
written notice of his intention to contest such election.''\3\
The Notice of Contest was filed with the Clerk of the House of
Representatives on January 3, 2025, which is after the
statutory deadline prescribed by the FCEA.
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\3\Id.
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ANALYSIS
The Committee finds that Contestant has failed to timely
file his notice of contest with the Clerk of the House of
Representatives. Under the FCEA, the deadline to file for
Contestant to file with the Clerk of the House of
Representatives to contest this election would have been
December 25, 2024, 30 days after the Secretary of State and
Governor of Texas officially certified the election results for
this contest. Contestant filed his notice of contest with the
Clerk on January 3, 2025, a date occurring after the prescribed
time period, therefore the Committee finds that this claim must
be dismissed due to untimely filing.
CONCLUSION
For the reasons discussed above, the Committee therefore
concludes that this contest should be dismissed.
[all]