Special election runoff in Texas' 18th District set for Jan. 31

Daniela Altimari, CQ-Roll Call on Nov 17, 2025

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WASHINGTON — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has scheduled the runoff election to fill an open House seat in Houston for Jan. 31, nearly 11 months after the death of Democratic former Rep. Sylvester Turner.

The race in the 18th District features two Democrats: acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards. They were the top finishers among more than two dozen candidates who competed in a nonpartisan primary earlier this month. Menefee took 29% of the vote and Edwards 26%, far below the 50% required to avoid a runoff.

The winner of the runoff will serve the remainder of Turner’s term. Both Edwards and Menefee were critical of the Republican governor’s decision to delay the special election for nine months. (The seat was also vacant for months last year following the death of longtime Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.) Abbott has said the long lead time was needed to give Harris County election officials time to prepare.

Republican-led redistricting in Texas added another wrinkle to the contest. Whoever wins the runoff could find themselves facing Democratic Rep. Al Green in the March primary for a full term. Green, whose 9th District seat was redrawn as a safe Republican seat, has said he will run for the new 18th, which will subsume much of his current district.

Menefee has already said he will run for a full term, while Edwards has yet to commit. The filing deadline to compete in the 2026 primary is Dec. 8, while early voting in the runoff will be held from Jan. 21-27.

The 18th District has a storied legacy and has been held by a number of prominent Black Democrats with national profiles, including Jackson Lee, anti-hunger activist Mickey Leland and Barbara Jordan, who made history in 1972 when she became the first Black woman from the South elected to the House.

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