As more and more instances make the Texas headlines about convicted felons running for public office, the question is whether felons are allowed to run. The the answer is not clear in the Texas Election Code, which states that an eligible candidate must âhave not been finally convicted of a felony from which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities.â While a pardon is relatively clear cut, itâs the other part of the code that has people scratching their heads: âotherwise released from the resulting disabilities.â Does that mean a convicted felon who has served his or her time in prison can then later run for office? No one seems to know.