Democrat Menefee Takes Texas House Seat in Runoff Win

Christian Menefee, a Democrat and former Harris County attorney, won a special runoff election Saturday in Texas's 18th Congressional District. He defeated fellow Democrat Amanda Edwards to fill the seat left empty since Rep. Sylvester Turner died in March 2025. The district, centered in Houston, had gone nearly a year without representation in the U.S. House. Menefee's victory gives Democrats one more vote in a House where Republicans hold a slim edge.

Background

The 18th District seat opened up when Sylvester Turner passed away just two months into his first term as congressman. Turner had served as Houston's mayor for eight years before winning the seat in a special election the previous year. His death left voters in this heavily Democratic area without a voice in Washington.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott scheduled the first round of the special election for November 4, 2025. That drew criticism from Democrats, who said the delay helped Republicans keep their House majority intact longer. Sixteen candidates, all Democrats, ran in that initial vote. No one got more than 50% of the vote, so Menefee and Edwards advanced to the runoff on January 31, 2026.

Menefee, 37, had been Harris County's top civil lawyer since 2021. He beat an incumbent to win that job in 2020 and became the county's first Black person in the role. During his time there, he took on state leaders like Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton in court over issues like voting rights and immigration. Edwards served four years on the Houston City Council starting in 2016. She ran for U.S. Senate in 2020 and challenged the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in a 2024 primary.

The district has a long history of sending prominent Black Democrats to Congress. Sheila Jackson Lee held the seat for almost 30 years until her death in July 2024. After that, local Democrats picked Turner to replace her in a special vote. Now, with Turner gone too, Menefee steps in to finish his term, which ends in early 2027.

Key Details

Early results showed Menefee with 67% of the vote after half of the Election Day centers reported. The Associated Press called the race for him based on those numbers. Turnout was very low. Officials counted fewer than 14,000 early and mail ballots, down from almost 39,000 in the November election.

Winter weather complicated things. It forced election officials to cancel two days of early voting earlier that week. Civil rights groups went to court and won a two-day extension, pushing advance voting to Thursday.

In the November primary, Menefee got 22,022 votes, or 28.9% of the total. Edwards came in second with 19,467 votes, or 25.6%. The runoff drew fewer people to the polls, but Menefee pulled ahead comfortably.

Candidate Backing

Menefee had support from key Texas Democrats. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who is running for Senate, endorsed him. So did former Rep. Beto O'Rourke and Erica Lee Carter, daughter of Sheila Jackson Lee. Edwards got backing from state Rep. Jolanda Jones, who finished third in the primary. Jones said Edwards had the right skills to take on national challenges.

At his election night event in Houston, Menefee spoke to supporters.

“You’ve gone nearly a year without hearing from the people of the 18th Congressional District of Texas. The results here tonight are a mandate for me to work as hard as I can to oppose your agenda, to fight back against where you’re taking this country and to investigate your crimes. And I look forward to doing so.” — Christian Menefee, addressing President Donald Trump

Menefee also promised to push for impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and to overhaul the immigration system.

What This Means

Menefee's win shrinks the Republican majority in the House to 218-214. That means Speaker Mike Johnson can lose just one vote from his party on any straight party-line bill. The House faces big votes soon, including ones to avoid a government shutdown. Every seat counts in such a tight setup.

Once sworn in, Menefee joins a House where margins have stayed razor-thin. Republicans have struggled to pass their agenda with so little room for error. This seat flips to Democrats right away, adding pressure on GOP leaders.

The story does not end here for Menefee or Edwards. Texas Republicans redrew congressional maps last summer to gain more seats. The new 18th District will look very different. It pulls in areas now held by Democratic Rep. Al Green and drops much of the current district, like Acres Homes, the Heights, and Humble.

Voters in downtown Houston, Third Ward, and Kashmere Gardens will stay in the district. On March 3, they face a Democratic primary for the full term starting in 2027. Menefee and Edwards will run again, this time against Green. The primary winner goes on to the general election in a district that could lean more Republican under the new lines.

This special election might launch Menefee's time in Congress. Or it could be brief if he loses the primary. The district has produced powerhouses like Jackson Lee before. Local leaders see Menefee as a fighter who could stick around. His legal background and endorsements give him a strong start.

Houston's political scene stays busy. With Turner gone and maps changing, voters have more choices ahead. Menefee plans to head to Washington soon to take his seat and join the debates on immigration, spending, and investigations. The low turnout shows not everyone paid attention this time, but bigger elections loom.