Texas Democrats Menefee and Edwards advance to runoff for vacant US House seat

HOUSTON -- Democrats Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards precocious to a runoff Tuesday nighttime successful a peculiar predetermination for a U.S. House spot that has been vacant since March and volition constrictive the GOP’s slim bulk erstwhile a victor is sworn in.

Menefee, who presently serves arsenic Harris County attorney, and Edwards, a erstwhile Houston City Council member, were the apical vote-getters successful a crowded tract of 16 candidates. Neither received much than 50% of the vote, sending the contention to a runoff that is expected aboriginal adjacent year.

The victor is to service retired the remaining word of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died 2 months aft taking office representing the deep-blue 18th Congressional District.

Following Turner’s death, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott defended not holding a peculiar predetermination until November by arguing that Houston predetermination officials needed clip to prepare. Democrats criticized the agelong wait and accused Abbott of trying to springiness his party’s House bulk much cushion.

Menefee said his connection for President Donald Trump and his allies is, “We’ve got 1 much predetermination left, and past you’re going to person to spot me.”

“For months, arsenic this spot sat vacant, I heard from voters who were acceptable for idiosyncratic consenting to instrumentality connected Donald Trump and the acold close — not conscionable speech astir change, but present existent results,” Menefee said.

Confusion has lingered implicit the predetermination successful the 18th Congressional District, wherever galore residents volition ballot successful a antithetic territory adjacent twelvemonth under a redrawn map demanded by President Donald Trump successful an effort to summation the fig of GOP seats.

Republicans presently clasp a seven-seat bulk successful the House, 219-212, with 4 vacancies, including the Houston seat. Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva won a peculiar predetermination successful September successful a heavy Democratic territory on the Mexico border, but she has not been sworn successful yet. A narrower bulk gives Republican leaders little country to maneuver.

“It’s not capable to maine conscionable for america to combat backmost against the attacks waged by our president,” Edwards said, speaking to supporters aft polls closed. “We indispensable bash that and forge a way for our future.”

Menefee ousted an incumbent successful 2020 to go Harris County's archetypal Black region attorney, representing it successful civilian cases, and helium has joined ineligible challenges of Trump's enforcement orders connected immigration. He was endorsed by respective salient Texas Democrats including erstwhile congressman Beto O’Rourke and Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Edwards served 4 years connected the assembly starting successful 2016. She ran for U.S. Senate successful 2020 but finished 5th successful a 12-person primary. She unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee successful the 2024 primary, and erstwhile Lee died that July, section Democrats narrowly nominated Turner implicit Edwards arsenic Lee's replacement.

The existent 18th District is solidly Democratic and spirals from northeast Houston done downtown, backmost up to northwest Houston and eastbound again, until its 2 ends travel adjacent to forming a doughnut. Non-Hispanic whites marque up astir 23% of its voting-age citizens, though nary azygous radical has a majority.

The redrawn 18th stretches from suburbs southwest of Houston diagonally done the metropolis and past its northeast limits. A small much than 50% of voting-age citizens are Black, which critics accidental is not a large capable bulk for them to find who gets elected.

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Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas.