Blaylock Asks State to Bar Lomick From Office

A Republican candidate's lawyers ask Texas' Secretary of State to rule that Democratic nominee Ericka Lomick is ineligible due to a past federal felony conviction.

Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Law

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a single geometric state capitol dome silhouette over a flat horizon, in navy and cream with a muted red accent. — Republican Alan Blaylock asked Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden to declare Democratic nominee Ericka Lomick ineligible for office over a 2011 federal felony conviction. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Republican Alan Blaylock asked Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden to declare Democratic nominee Ericka Lomick ineligible for the Texas House District 93 seat in Tarrant County. Lomick suspended her campaign weeks before Election Day, but her name remained on the ballot and she received the most votes in both contests.

Why it matters

The request asks state officials to decide whether a candidate who received the most votes can be barred from office based on a prior felony conviction. Texas law generally bars convicted felons from holding public office unless pardoned, so the outcome could determine who represents the district.

Blaylock's lawyers requested a response from Secretary of State Robert Howden by noon Monday. The office did not plan to comment at this time, and no ruling on eligibility has been issued.

The players

Ericka Lomick

Ericka Lomick is a Democrat who pleaded guilty in 2011 to federal mortgage fraud charges in North Carolina and is the party's nominee for Texas House District 93.

Alan Blaylock

Alan Blaylock is a Republican and former Fort Worth city council member who asked the Secretary of State to declare his opponent ineligible.

Robert Howden

Robert Howden is the Texas Secretary of State, the state official whose office received the request to rule on Lomick's eligibility.

The details

Blaylock's lawyers sent a letter to Howden on Friday citing Lomick's 2011 guilty plea to mortgage fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in North Carolina federal court. Lomick said she was fully released from the resulting disabilities, while the request argues the conviction bars her from office.

2011: Lomick pleaded guilty to mortgage fraud and related charges.
2019: An attorney general's opinion addressed felon eligibility to run again after rights restoration.
2024: Federal prosecutors filed a $300,000 lien against Lomick.
Late September: Lomick faced questions about her eligibility to hold office.
November 2026: Lomick won the House District 93 election after suspending her campaign.

Legal Context

The request invokes Texas' general bar on convicted felons holding public office, which requires a pardon, and it tests how that rule applies after the 2019 attorney general's opinion on rights restoration. The outcome will show how the state applies that framework when a candidate has already won votes despite the dispute.

Voters in House District 93 may not know whether the candidate they elected can take office until the Secretary of State rules on the eligibility request. The outcome determines whether the seat is filled by the winning candidate or left to another process.

The takeaway

Eligibility disputes over past felony convictions can determine who holds office even after voters have chosen a candidate, so the state's response to this request will set a practical precedent for similar cases.