2025–26 Texas's 18th congressional district special election
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The 2025–26 Texas's 18th congressional district 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 Representative Sheila Jackson Lee.
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November 4, 2025 (first round)
January 31, 2026 (runoff) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas's 18th congressional district | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Menefee: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% >90% Edwards: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% Jones: 20–30% 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% Montiel: 20–30% 50–60% Tie 20–30% 30–40% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 was held on January 31, 2026[1] and Menefee was selected to succeed Turner to finish the term.[2]
Background
Incumbent Sylvester Turner died in office on March 5, 2025 from health complications, according to a statement released by his family.[3][4] Turner was elected in 2024 to Congress after serving as a two-term mayor of Houston.[4] District 18 is a deeply blue urban district, with Turner winning the district with 69.4% of the vote.[5] More than a month later, Governor Greg Abbott called for the special election to take place on November 4.[6] 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.[7][8] The special election was conducted with all candidates on the ballot and was followed by a runoff because no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round.
Candidates
Democratic Party
Advanced to runoff
- Christian Menefee, Harris County Attorney (2021–2026)[9]
- 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[10]
Eliminated in primary
- Feldon Bonner II, minister[11]
- Stephen Huey, healthcare software engineer[11]
- Jolanda Jones, state representative from the 147th district (2022–present) (endorsed Edwards in runoff)[12][13]
- Isaiah Martin, government contract consultant and candidate for this district in 2024[14]
- Valencia Williams, philanthropist[11]
Withdrawn
- Zoe Cadore, former director of federal and regulatory affairs for Calpine[15]
- Ebony Rain Eatmon, community advocate (endorsed Menefee)[16]
- James Joseph, former director of civic engagement and community outreach for state senator Borris Miles (running for state house in 2026)[17]
- Corisha Rogers, political organizer (endorsed Menefee)[16]
- 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)[18]
Declined
- Al Green, U.S. representative from Texas's 9th congressional district (2005–present)[19][a]
- Erica Lee Carter, former U.S. representative (2024–2025) (endorsed Menefee)[20]
Republican Party
Eliminated in primary
- Theodis Daniel, disabled veteran[21]
- 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
Eliminated in primary
- Tammie Rochester, social worker[11]
Independents
Eliminated in primary
- Reyna Anderson, former advisor to the Holy See Permanent Observer Mission to the U.N.[b][22]
- Vince Duncan, carpentry contractor[11]
- George Foreman IV, television personality and son of professional boxer George Foreman[23]
Primary
Endorsements
Amanda Edwards (D)
- U.S. representatives
- Lois Frankel, U.S. representative from Florida's 22nd congressional district (2013–present)[24]
- Jennifer McClellan, U.S. representative from Virginia's 4th congressional district (2023–present)[25]
- Lateefah Simon, U.S. representative from California's 12th congressional district (2025–present)[25]
- Organizations
Jolanda Jones (D)
- U.S. representatives
- Bonnie Watson Coleman, U.S. representative from New Jersey's 12th congressional district (2015–present)[29]
- Mark Takano, U.S. representative from California's 39th congressional district (2013–present)[30]
- Ritchie Torres, U.S. representative from New York's 15th congressional district (2021–present)[30]
- Craig Washington, former U.S. representative from Texas's 18th congressional district (1989–1995)[25]
- Organizations
Christian Menefee (D)
- U.S. representatives
- Colin Allred, U.S. representative from Texas's 32nd congressional district (2019–2025)[32]
- Erica Lee Carter, U.S. representative from Texas's 18th congressional district (2024–2025)[20]
- Greg Casar, U.S. representative from Texas's 35th congressional district (2023–present)[33]
- Jasmine Crockett, U.S. representative from Texas's 30th congressional district (2023–present)[25]
- Lizzie Fletcher, U.S. representative from Texas's 7th congressional district (2019–present)[32]
- Maxwell Frost, U.S. representative from Florida's 10th congressional district (2023–present)[33]
- Pramila Jayapal, U.S. representative from Washington's 7th congressional district (2017–present)[33]
- Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. representative from Texas's 16th congressional district (2013–2019)[32]
- State legislators
- Alma Allen, state representative from the 131st district (2005–present)[32]
- Ana Hernandez, state representative from the 143rd district (2005–present)[32]
- Jon Rosenthal, state representative from the 135th district (2019–present)[32]
- James Talarico, state representative from the 50th district (2018–present)[32]
- Armando Walle, state representative from the 140th district (2009–present)[32]
- Royce West, former President pro tempore of the Texas Senate (2006–2007) from the 23rd district (1993–present)[32]
- County officials
- Rodney Ellis, Harris County commissioner (2017–present)[34]
- Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge[c] (2019–present)[35]
- Local officials
- Dwight Boykins, former Houston city councilor from district D (2014–2019)[32]
- Ronald Green, former Houston City Controller (2010–2016)[32]
- Chris Hollins, Houston City Controller (2024–present)[34]
- Party officials
- David Hogg, former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (2025)[36]
- Labor unions
- Organizations
- Center for Freethought Equality[39]
- College Democrats of America[40]
- Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC[33]
- People for the American Way[41]
- Patriotic Millionaires[42]
- Leaders We Deserve[43]
- Newspapers
Fundraising
| 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[45] | |||
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[d] |
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[46] | October 7–11, 2025 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 23% | 4% | 15% | 4% | 27% | 6% | 8%[e] | 13% |
| Blueprint Polling (D)[47][A] | September 8–9, 2025 | 454 (V) | ± 4.6% | 10% | 2% | 25% | 4% | 14% | 19% | 2%[f] | 25% |
| Lake Research Partners (D)[47][B] | August 20–25, 2025 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 15% | 4% | 22% | 5% | 22% | 15% | – | 14% |
| Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies (D)[48][C] | July 20–23, 2025 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 18% | 6% | 11% | 3% | 10% | 12% | 4% | 36% |
| University of Houston[49] | July 9–18, 2025 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 19% | 4% | 14% | 3% | 19% | 14% | – | 27% |
Results
| 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.[51][2]
Runoff
Post-primary endorsements
Amanda Edwards (D)
- State legislators
- Jolanda Jones, state representative from the 147th district (2022–present) and former candidate for this district[13]
Christian Menefee (D)
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of January 11, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Amanda Edwards (D) | $1,740,159 | $1,460,807 | $280,565 |
| Christian Menefee (D) | $2,225,235 | $1,836,495 | $388,739 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[45] | |||
Polling
Hypothetical polling
Amanda Edwards vs. Jolanda Jones
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[d] |
Margin of error |
Amanda Edwards (D) |
Jolanda Jones (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston/YouGov[46] | 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[d] |
Margin of error |
Jolanda Jones (D) |
Christian Menefee (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston/YouGov[46] | October 7–11, 2025 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 26% | 43% | 12%[j] | 19% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Christian Menefee | 18,646 | 68.86 | |
| Democratic | Amanda Edwards | 8,434 | 31.14 | |
| Total votes | 27,080 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
See also
Notes
- 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.
- 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%
- The Houston Chronicle endorsed Menefee prior to the primary, then formally re-endorsed him for the runoff
- "Not voting" with 10%
- "Not voting" with 11%
- "Not voting" with 12%
- Partisan clients