Houston’s 18th Congressional District Runoff: Menefee vs. Edwards in Special Election

Governor Greg Abbott has scheduled a Jan. 31 special election runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, where Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards will face off to serve the remainder of Rep. Sylvester Turner’s term, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.

Early voting is set to begin Jan. 21.

The district, covering downtown Houston, the Greater Fifth Ward, Acres Homes, and the area around George Bush Intercontinental Airport, has been without representation for more than 330 days. 

Turner died on March 5, and Abbott did not call a special election until Nov. 4. He said he delayed the schedule because Harris County has a history of election management issues, and he wanted to give officials more time to prepare.

Menefee and Edwards were the top finishers in a 16-candidate field on Nov. 4 but advanced to a runoff after neither surpassed 50% of the vote. The late-January date means both will simultaneously campaign in the runoff while vote-by-mail begins for the March Democratic primary, which will determine the party’s nominee for the full two-year term starting in 2027.

Without a replacement for Turner, President Donald Trump’s major spending and tax cut package passed the U.S. House over the summer by a single vote.