Menefee Wins Texas 18th District Runoff Election

Christian Menefee, the former Harris County attorney, won a special runoff election on Saturday to complete the remainder of the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner's term in Texas's 18th Congressional District, a Democratic stronghold in central Houston. The Associated Press projected Menefee's victory over Amanda Edwards, a former Houston City Council member, in the all-Democrat contest, ending an 11-month vacancy that began after Turner's death in March 2025.

The runoff followed a November special election where neither candidate secured a majority among 16 contenders. Menefee received the most votes at 29 percent, with Edwards close behind at 26 percent. The district, which encompasses downtown Houston and parts of Harris County, has lacked full-time representation for much of the past two years due to a series of tragedies and procedural delays. Turner, Houston's former mayor, had taken office in January 2025 to serve out the term after the death of longtime Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in July 2024. Jackson Lee's daughter, Erica Lee Carter, briefly held the seat from November 2024 until Turner's swearing-in. The process to fill the vacancy was prolonged when Republican Gov. Greg...