2025–26 Texas's 18th congressional district special election
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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
A special election to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for Texas's 18th congressional district was held on November 4, 2025. The seat became vacant following the death of Democrat Sylvester Turner on March 5, 2025. It is considered a safely Democratic district. This was the second special election to this seat in almost one year, the first being held in November 2024 after the July 2024 death of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.
No candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, leading to a runoff between the top two candidates: county attorney Christian Menefee and former city councilwoman Amanda Edwards. The runoff election is scheduled to be held on January 31, 2026 and the winner will succeed Turner to finish the term.[1]
Background
[edit]Incumbent Sylvester Turner died in office on March 5, 2025, from health complications, according to a statement released by his family.[2][3] Turner was elected in 2024 to Congress after serving as a two-term mayor of Houston.[3] District 18 is a deeply blue urban district, with Turner winning the district with 69.4% of the vote.[4] More than a month later, Governor Greg Abbott called for the special election to take place on November 4.[5] Texas has no legal deadline for when special elections must take place, and many Democrats criticized Abbott, alleging he intentionally delayed the election to aid congressional Republicans, who hold a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.[6][7] This special election will be conducted with a nonpartisan primary with all candidates on the ballot followed by a runoff held on a later date if no candidate receives a majority of the vote.
Candidates
[edit]Democratic Party
[edit]Advanced to runoff
[edit]- Amanda Edwards, former at-large Houston city councilor (2016–2020), candidate for this district in the 2024 special and regular elections, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020[8]
- Christian Menefee, Harris County Attorney (2021–present)[a][10]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Feldon Bonner II, minister[11]
- Stephen Huey, healthcare software engineer[11]
- Jolanda Jones, state representative from the 147th district (2022–present)[12]
- Isaiah Martin, government contract consultant and candidate for this district in 2024[13]
- Valencia Williams, philanthropist[11]
Withdrawn
[edit]- Zoe Cadore, former director of federal and regulatory affairs for Calpine[14]
- Ebony Rain Eatmon, community advocate (endorsed Menefee)[15]
- James Joseph, former director of civic engagement and community outreach for state senator Borris Miles (running for state house in 2026)[16]
- Corisha Rogers, political organizer (endorsed Menefee)[15]
- Robert Slater, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Texas Chapter and candidate for this district in 2024 (running for the 29th district in 2026)[17]
Declined
[edit]- Al Green, U.S. Representative from Texas's 9th congressional district (2005–present)[18][b]
- Erica Lee Carter, former U.S. Representative (2024–2025) (endorsed Menefee)[19]
Republican Party
[edit]Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Theodis Daniel, disabled veteran[20]
- Ollie Knox, retiree[11]
- Carmen María Montiel, former Miss Venezuela, candidate for Texas's 29th congressional district in 2018, and nominee for this district in 2022[11]
- Carter Page, petroleum consultant and former foreign policy advisor for Donald Trump[11]
- Ronald Whitfield, landscaping contractor[11]
Green Party
[edit]Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Tammie Rochester, social worker[11]
Independents
[edit]Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Reyna Anderson, former advisor to the Holy See Permanent Observer Mission to the U.N.[c][21]
- Vince Duncan, carpentry contractor[11]
- George Foreman IV, television personality and son of professional boxer George Foreman[22]
Endorsements
[edit]Amanda Edwards (D)
- U.S. representatives
- Lois Frankel, U.S. representative from Florida's 22nd congressional district (2013–present)[23]
- Jennifer McClellan, U.S. representative from Virginia's 4th congressional district (2023–present)[24]
- Lateefah Simon, U.S. representative from California's 12th congressional district (2025–present)[24]
- Organizations
Jolanda Jones (D)
- U.S. representatives
- Bonnie Watson Coleman, U.S. representative from New Jersey's 12th congressional district (2015–present)[28]
- Mark Takano, U.S. representative from California's 39th congressional district (2013–present)[29]
- Ritchie Torres, U.S. representative from New York's 15th congressional district (2021–present)[29]
- Craig Washington, former U.S. representative from Texas's 18th congressional district (1989–1995)[24]
- Organizations
Christian Menefee (D)
- U.S. representatives
- Colin Allred, U.S. representative from Texas's 32nd congressional district (2019–2025)[31]
- Erica Lee Carter, U.S. representative from Texas's 18th congressional district (2024–2025)[19]
- Greg Casar, U.S. representative from Texas's 35th congressional district (2023–present)[32]
- Jasmine Crockett, U.S. representative from Texas's 30th congressional district (2023–present)[24]
- Lizzie Fletcher, U.S. representative from Texas's 7th congressional district (2019–present)[31]
- Maxwell Frost, U.S. representative from Florida's 10th congressional district (2023–present)[32]
- Pramila Jayapal, U.S. representative from Washington's 7th congressional district (2017–present)[32]
- Beto O'Rourke, U.S. representative from Texas's 16th congressional district (2013–2019)[31]
- State legislators
- Alma Allen, state representative from the 131st district (2005–present)[31]
- Ana Hernandez, state representative from the 143rd district (2005–present)[31]
- Jon Rosenthal, state representative from the 135th district (2019–present)[31]
- James Talarico, state representative from the 50th district (2018–present)[31]
- Armando Walle, state representative from the 140th district (2009–present)[31]
- Royce West, former President pro tempore of the Texas Senate (2006–2007) from the 23rd district (1993–present)[31]
- County officials
- Rodney Ellis, Harris County commissioner (2017–present)[33]
- Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge[d] (2019–present)[34]
- Local officials
- Dwight Boykins, former Houston city councilor from district D (2014–2019)[31]
- Ronald Green, former Houston City Controller (2010–2016)[31]
- Chris Hollins, Houston City Controller (2024–present)[33]
- Party officials
- David Hogg, former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (2025)[35]
- Labor unions
- Organizations
- Center for Freethought Equality PAC[38]
- College Democrats of America[39]
- Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC[32]
- People for the American Way[40]
- Patriotic Millionaires[41]
- Newspapers
Primary
[edit]Fundraising
[edit]| Campaign finance reports as of October 15, 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Amanda Edwards (D) | $1,266,234 | $935,650 | $331,799 |
| Stephen Huey (D) | $37,857 | $26,092 | $11,764 |
| Jolanda Jones (D) | $341,647 | $314,314 | $27,333 |
| Isaiah Martin (D) | $1,054,746 | $961,678 | $267,702 |
| Christian Menefee (D) | $1,539,610 | $1,146,989 | $392,621 |
| Carmen María Montiel (R) | $61,174 | $41,065 | $20,551 |
| Reyna Anderson (I) | $8,225 | $3,616 | $4,609 |
| George Foreman IV (I) | $8,454 | $759 | $7,695 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[43] | |||
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[e] |
Margin of error |
Amanda Edwards (D) |
George Foreman IV (I) |
Jolanda Jones (D) |
Isaiah Martin (D) |
Christian Menefee (D) |
Carmen Maria Montiel (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston/YouGov[44] | October 7–11, 2025 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 23% | 4% | 15% | 4% | 27% | 6% | 8%[f] | 13% |
| Blueprint Polling (D)[45][A] | September 8–9, 2025 | 454 (V) | ± 4.6% | 10% | 2% | 25% | 4% | 14% | 19% | 2%[g] | 25% |
| Lake Research Partners (D)[45][B] | August 20–25, 2025 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 15% | 4% | 22% | 5% | 22% | 15% | – | 14% |
| Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies (D)[46][C] | July 20–23, 2025 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 18% | 6% | 11% | 3% | 10% | 12% | 4% | 36% |
| University of Houston[47] | July 9–18, 2025 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 19% | 4% | 14% | 3% | 19% | 14% | – | 27% |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Christian Menefee | 22,022 | 28.90 | |
| Democratic | Amanda Edwards | 19,467 | 25.55 | |
| Democratic | Jolanda Jones | 14,549 | 19.10 | |
| Republican | Carmen María Montiel | 5,110 | 6.71 | |
| Democratic | Isaiah Martin | 4,337 | 5.69 | |
| Republican | Ollie Knox | 3,131 | 4.11 | |
| Democratic | Stephen Huey | 1,415 | 1.86 | |
| Republican | Ronald Whitfield | 1,175 | 1.54 | |
| Republican | Carter Page | 943 | 1.24 | |
| Republican | Theodis Daniel | 937 | 1.23 | |
| Democratic | Valencia Williams | 915 | 1.20 | |
| Independent | George Foreman IV | 828 | 1.09 | |
| Democratic | Feldon Bonner II | 555 | 0.73 | |
| Independent | Vince Duncan | 407 | 0.53 | |
| Independent | Reyna Anderson | 263 | 0.35 | |
| Green | Tammie Rochester | 135 | 0.18 | |
| Total votes | 76,189 | 100.00 | ||
Per his constitutional duties as Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott announced January 31, 2026, as the date for the runoff election. The announcement was made two weeks after the first round was held.[49][1]
Runoff
[edit]Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[e] |
Margin of error |
Amanda Edwards (D) |
Christian Menefee (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston/YouGov[44] | October 7–11, 2025 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 34% | 36% | 10%[h] | 20% |
Hypothetical polling
Amanda Edwards vs. Jolanda Jones
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[e] |
Margin of error |
Amanda Edwards (D) |
Jolanda Jones (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston/YouGov[44] | October 7–11, 2025 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 44% | 26% | 11%[i] | 19% |
Jolanda Jones vs. Christian Menefee
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[e] |
Margin of error |
Jolanda Jones (D) |
Christian Menefee (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston/YouGov[44] | October 7–11, 2025 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 26% | 43% | 12%[j] | 19% |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Christian Menefee | |||
| Democratic | Amanda Edwards | |||
| Total votes | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
See also
[edit]- 2025 United States House of Representatives elections
- 2026 United States House of Representatives elections
- List of special elections to the United States House of Representatives
- List of United States representatives from Texas
- 119th United States Congress
Notes
[edit]- ^ Under Texas's resign-to-run law, Menefee was required to resign his seat when he entered the congressional race. However, he will remain in office in an acting capacity until the Harris County Board of Commissioners appoints a replacement.[9]
- ^ New mid-decade maps enacted by the Texas Legislature place Green in the new 18th district starting in 2027.
- ^ Will appear on the ballot as a candidate for the American Solidarity Party.
- ^ County executive
- ^ a b c d Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - ^ Carter Page (R) with 3%; Ronald Whitfield (R) and "Seven Others (<1%)" with 2%; Theodis Daniel (R) with 1%
- ^ "Someone else" with 2%
- ^ "Not voting" with 10%
- ^ "Not voting" with 11%
- ^ "Not voting" with 12%
- Partisan clients
References
[edit]- ^ a b Birenbaum, Gabby (November 17, 2025). "Abbott sets Jan. 31 runoff for special election to replace U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
- ^ Church, Abby; Warren, Peter (March 5, 2025). "Longtime Houston mayor Sylvester Turner dies at 70, months after winning U.S. House seat". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
- ^ a b Lozano, Juan A. (March 5, 2025). "US Rep. and former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner dies at 70". Associated Press. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
- ^ "2024 House Vote Tracker". Cook Political Report. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- ^ Mueller, Julia (April 7, 2025). "Abbott sets November special election to replace Sylvester Turner in House". The Hill. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ Wallace, Jeremy (March 7, 2025). "Gov. Abbott could delay setting special election in Houston to help D.C. Republicans". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
- ^ Oppenheim, Oren; Osteen, Olivia; Peller, Lauren (April 8, 2025). "Texas governor under fire after pushing special election to November". ABC News. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
- ^ Church, Abby (March 19, 2025). "Former Houston council member Amanda Edwards announces bid to replace Sylvester Turner in Congress". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Church, Abby (March 17, 2025). "With Christian Menefee running for U.S. Congress, what happens to the Harris County attorney seat?". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ Church, Abby (March 15, 2025). "Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee vying for Sylvester Turner's House seat". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Vu, Kevin (September 5, 2025). "See all the candidates running for Texas' 18th Congressional District". Community Impact. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ Guo, Kayla (June 5, 2025). "Texas Rep. Jolanda Jones announces bid to succeed Sylvester Turner in Congress". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
- ^ Kelly, Cara (March 17, 2025). "Isaiah Martin Roasts MAGA Creators on TikTok. Now He's Running for Congress". The Barbed Wire. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ Barnes, Daniel; Oprysko, Caitlin (September 4, 2025). "Big Law hiring spree". Politico. Axel Springer. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ a b Humble, Ahmed (August 21, 2025). "18th Congressional District candidates drop out of race, endorse Christian Menefee". KPRC-TV. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "I am proud to officially announce that I am running for State House District 142. I'm ready to fight for our schools, our families, and a stronger future for our community". September 9, 2025. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ "Robert Slater Announces Candidacy for Congressional District 29, Exiting Race for District 18". Facebook. September 3, 2025. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
- ^ Wallace, Jeremy (August 26, 2025). "Al Green rules out running in special election for 18th Congressional District". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
- ^ a b Bugenhagen, Faith (March 17, 2025). "Christian Menefee vies for Congress with Sheila Jackson Lee's daughter by his side". Chron.com. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ Heavey, Deirdre (August 14, 2025). "'Not a politician': Father of young cancer survivor DJ Daniel runs for Texas 18th district seat". Fox News. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
- ^ Winger, Richard (June 3, 2025). "American Solidarity Party Plans to Place Candidate on Ballot for Special U.S. House Election in Texas". Ballot Access News. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
- ^ Wallace, Jeremy (June 30, 2025). "George Foreman IV to run for Congress in Houston district". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
- ^ a b "Elect Democratic Women Endorses Amanda Edwards for Texas' 18th Congressional District Special Election". Elect Democratic Women. August 20, 2025. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Wallace, Jeremy (October 8, 2025). "Can Jasmine Crockett influence a Houston congressional race?". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
- ^ Nir, David; Singer, Jeff (August 11, 2025). "Morning Digest: A new poll shows Mary Peltola cruising if she runs for governor". Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Candidates for Common Good". Vote Common Good.
- ^ "2026 Cycle Federal and Statewide Candidates". Emerge.
- ^ "Watson Coleman Endorses Jolanda Jones in Texas 18th Congressional District Race". Style Magazine.
- ^ a b c "Equality PAC Endorses Three Candidates: One for Texas' 18th Congressional District Special Election and Two for the 2026 Midterms". lgbtequalitypac.org. September 15, 2025. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
- ^ "LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Endorses Jolanda Jones & Sarah McBride for the U.S. House, 2025 State and Local Candidates". July 29, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Nir, David; Singer, Jeff (March 19, 2025). "Morning Digest, sponsored by Liftoff Campaigns: New Hampshire might finally abandon its last-in-the-nation primary". The Downballot. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Elbein, Saul (April 24, 2025). "National progressives back Houston attorney who fought GOP in court in Texas special election". The Hill. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ^ a b Church, Abby (March 18, 2025). "Christian Menefee endorsed by some of state's top Democrats in congressional campaign's first day". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Church, Abby (March 20, 2025). "Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has endorsed Christian Menefee in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner in Congress". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ Manchester, Julia (October 6, 2025). "Hogg endorses first candidate challenging incumbent House Democrat". The Hill. Retrieved October 6, 2025.
- ^ "National Nurses United endorses Christian Menefee for Congress". September 29, 2025. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ "Labor 2025 Endorsements". Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ "2025 Endorsements". Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ "Press Statements & Endorsements". Retrieved April 26, 2025.
- ^ "Elections and Endorsements | People For the American Way". People For the American Way. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
- ^ "Christian Menefee". Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ "Voters should pick a representative who will be effective in Congress and the courts". Houston Chronicle. October 10, 2025. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
- ^ "2026 Election United States House - Texas 18th". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Texas Congressional District 18 Special Election" (PDF). University of Houston. October 2025. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
- ^ a b McClenagan, Kyle (September 15, 2025). "Frontrunners for 18th Congressional District special election release conflicting polling data". Houston Public Media. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
- ^ Singer, Jeff (August 12, 2025). "TX-18: brilliant corners Research & Strategies (D) for Amanda Edwards (Aug. 2025)". DocumentCloud. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
- ^ "Harris County 2025: Texas Congressional District 18" (PDF). University of Houston. July 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
- ^ "U. S. REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 18 - UNEXPIRED TERM". Texas Secretary of State. November 3, 2025. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ AP Race Call: Menefee and Edwards advance to a runoff for U.S. House in Texas' 18th District
External links
[edit]- Official campaign websites
- Reyna Anderson (I) for Congress
- Theodis Daniel (R) for Congress
- Vince Duncan (I) for Congress
- Amanda Edwards (D) for Congress
- George Foreman IV (I) for Congress
- Stephen Huey (D) for Congress
- Jolanda Jones (D) for Congress
- Isaiah Martin (D) for Congress
- Christian Menefee (D) for Congress
- Carmen Maria Montiel (R) for Congress
- Carter Page (R) for Congress
- Valenica Williams (D) for Congress
Categories:
- Special elections to the 119th United States Congress
- United States House of Representatives special elections
- United States House of Representatives elections in Texas
- 2025 United States House of Representatives elections
- 2026 United States House of Representatives elections
- 2025 Texas elections
- 2026 Texas elections
- Texas special elections