As predicted, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards are headed to a runoff in the U.S. Congressional District 18 race to fill the unexpired term of the late Sylvester Turner.
None of the 16 candidates garnered more than 50 percent of the vote, which forces the top two hopefuls to face off again early next year. The district has been without representation since Turner died in March. The late Sheila Jackson Lee represented District 18 for almost three decades and died last year.
With all 600 precincts reporting early Wednesday morning, the following results were reported by the Harris County Clerk’s Office:
Christian Dashaun Menefee, D: 21,979 votes (28.89 percent)
Amanda Edwards, D: 19,440 votes (25.55 percent)
Jolanda Jones, D: 14,524 votes (19.09 percent)
Carmen Maria Montiel, R: 5,107 votes (6.71 percent)
Isaiah R. Martin, D: 4,336 votes (5.70 percent)
Ollie J. Knox, R: 3,130 votes (4.11 percent)
Stephen Huey, D: 1,414 votes (1.86 percent)
Ronald Dwayne Whitfield, R: 1,174 votes (1.54 percent)
Carter Page, R: 943 votes (1.24 percent)
Theodis Daniel, R: 937 votes (1.23 percent)
Valencia Williams, D: 915 votes (1.2 percent)
George Edward Foreman IV, ND: 827 votes (1.09 percent)
Feldon Bonner II, D: 553 votes (0.73 percent)
Vince Duncan, ND: 407 votes (0.53 percent)
Reyna Anderson, ND: 263 votes (0.35 percent)
Tammie Jean Rochester, GRN: 135 votes (0.18 percent)
Menefee issued a statement Tuesday evening saying his campaign was “powered by community and by people who believe in fighting for something bigger than themselves.”
“Tonight’s results show what we already knew: when you fight for the people of Houston, they fight for you,” he said. “For months, as this seat sat vacant, I heard from voters who were ready for someone willing to take on Donald Trump and the far right — not just talk about change, but deliver real results. I’m proud that we’ve earned the trust and support of so many voters.”
Edwards said on Wednesday morning that she’s ready for the runoff.
“I’m deeply grateful to the people of the 18th Congressional District who have supported me and know that victory is right around the corner for our community,” she said in a statement. “We are entering this runoff neck and neck with the community behind us. By no means am I the establishment candidate in this race; I am the people’s candidate, and my track record for delivering results for the people will help propel me forward in this runoff.”
Menefee and Edwards filed shortly after Turner’s death and have been frontrunners throughout the race. Former Jackson Lee staffer Isaiah Martin proved to be a strong fundraiser, putting up about $1 million. Edwards raised $1.2 million and Menefee had $1.5 million in his coffers.
“I got involved in this race because I was really frustrated with the system,” Martin said in a social media video Tuesday night. “I felt as if we needed to fight back a lot harder in Congress and D.C., and I really wanted to be that person. Although it’s not going to be me on the House floor, I’m … still going to be working to defeat this failed President in D.C., because ultimately we know he’s destroying everything we’ve got.”
Texas Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston, filed almost three months after the others, saying she had to stay committed to the constituents of her state House district until the session came to a close. Jones raised about $342,000 in the CD 18 race and said she expected that people would count her out. She campaigned vigorously during the 11-day early voting period and on Tuesday, earning about 19 percent of the vote and coming in third place.
“I’ve been at the polls every day, all day, from 7 to 7, because I have nothing better to do than fight for the people I represent,” Jones said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “I’m in these streets. I’m not in an ivory tower. I’m in the streets with the people.”
Jones broke quorum this summer with several other House Democrats when a mid-decade redistricting proposal threatened to change the boundaries of several congressional districts, including CD 18, in a Donald Trump-led effort to flip five Texas seats red.
Some Democrats ultimately returned from the quorum break, although Jones did not, and the new map passed but is now being challenged in court. The Houston Press and other media outlets reported last week that some District 18 voters were confused about whether the new boundary lines would prevent them from voting in Tuesday’s election.
County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said that voters who cast ballots in Congressional District 18 in 2024 would be able to do so on Tuesday and again in next year’s runoff. The new boundary lines won’t take effect until the March 2026 primary election, Hudspeth said.
Whoever wins the runoff will hold the seat until the end of 2026 but will have to immediately file again for the primary election. Longtime U.S. Rep. Al Green, who was redistricted out of his District 9 seat, is expected to announce a bid for District 18 on Friday, November 7.
Houston City Council candidate Kathy Tatum was campaigning Tuesday morning near the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center and said residents in District 18 have been without a member of Congress for almost a year and could benefit from a youthful perspective. Green is 78. Menefee is 37, and Edwards is 43.
“We don’t have nobody in CD 18 because in the Democratic Party we have loyalty to our ancestors and those who paved the way,” Tatum said. “We have had people in office who should have retired, and that’s a situation that could happen again if Al Green enters this race.”