House Republicans’ narrow margin of control in the U.S. House will soon get smaller when this Houston-area district’s vacant seat is filled.
HOUSTON—Two well-known local Democrats will face each other in a runoff election to fill Texas Congressional District 18, which has remained vacant since Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas) died in office.
The top two vote getters were Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards. With 78 percent of the votes counted, Menefee received 29.4 percent of the total, compared to Edwards’s 25.7 percent.
The Associated Press determined that the race will advance to a runoff election since no candidate will receive more than 50 percent of the vote.
State Rep. Jolanda Jones (D-District 147), who was also considered a top candidate for the seat, received 18.7 percent of the vote total.
Menefee spoke briefly at a standing-room-only watch party in downtown less than two hours after polls closed, telling his supporters he looked forward to a runoff against his Democratic opponent.
“I’m Christian Menefee, and we’re in first place for Congress,” he said.
Menefee thanked God for his success along with campaign workers, those who helped him raise campaign funds, and all who endorsed him.
His platform included favorite Democratic talking points such as raising wages, relieving student loan debt, and universal health care.
“So my message to MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump in Washington D.C. [is] we got just one more election left, and you guys can see me,” he said.
A runoff was all but inevitable with a crowded field of 16 candidates vying for the seat. Most were Democrats, but contenders included five Republicans and three independents, including George Foreman IV, son of boxing legend George Foreman.
Businesswoman Carmen Maria Montiel ranked as the top Republican in the race with 6 percent of the vote.
