Amanda Edwards headed to the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center on Wednesday morning, among the first to cast a ballot for the Congressional District 18 representative, a seat that’s been vacant since Sylvester Turner’s death in March 2025.
Edwards, a former at-large Houston City Council member, is in a runoff with former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee. District 18 residents — and the two runoff candidates — are anxious to have representation on Capitol Hill.
A January poll from Lake Research Partners suggests that if Menefee, the top vote-getter out of 16 candidates in a November 2025 special election, wins the runoff and becomes a sitting Congressman, he will likely go on to secure victory against longtime U.S. Rep. Al Green in the March primary.
The poll shows 41 percent of surveyed District 18 residents say they will vote for Menefee, 35 percent support Green, and 13 percent support Edwards. The filing period for the March primary has already closed, and all three candidates are on the ballot. Green switched over from the District 9 seat he’s held for 20 years due to a Republican-led redistricting effort over the summer.
But although the March primary looms in the not-so-distant future, the runoff is top of mind for Edwards.
“This delayed special election is long overdue for the 800,000 people who have been without their voice, vote and federal advocate for funding,” she said in a press release this week. “The disenfranchised members of this community can finally exercise their right to vote in this special election runoff, and they should do so early.”
Early voting began January 21 and continues through Tuesday, January 27. Election Day is January 31. Residents must live in Congressional District 18 and because this is a special election to fill an unexpired term, it’s not affected by recent redistricting efforts.
Both runoff candidates entered the race shortly after Turner’s death. Menefee has raised about $2.2 million, and Edwards has raised about $1.74 million, according to the Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports.
Both candidates are Democrats and have said they will stand up to President Donald Trump in Congress. The difference between the two, according to Menefee supporters, is that Menefee has a proven track record of fighting the federal government as the county attorney.
Elected in 2020 as the youngest Harris County attorney and the first African American to hold the office, Menefee has successfully sued the federal government three times and filed a fourth lawsuit in October demanding that a $7 billion solar program be restored.
“This campaign has always been about making our district a great place to live and fighting back against the hate and harm we’re seeing Trump push in Washington,” Menefee said in a press release earlier this week.
The Houston Progressive Caucus endorsed Menefee, saying it rejects MAGA authoritarianism and “the politics of punishment.”
“Rents are rising. Healthcare costs are out of control. Childcare is unaffordable. Wages lag behind food prices. Public services are being starved on purpose. These are not abstract problems. They are material harm inflicted on working families every day,” Caucus leaders said in an email to members.
“Christian Menefee has used his office to confront that harm. He has taken on corporate power. He stood up to [Gov. Greg] Abbott’s attacks on cities and public services. He has opposed ICE collaboration that terrorizes working-class communities.”
Some election watchers have pointed out that Edwards and Menefee have more similarities than differences. Both are young Black Democrats. Menefee is 37; Edwards is 43. Both have opposed Trump’s policies and were at the forefront of last year’s redistricting fight. Both criticized Abbott for delaying the Congressional District special election, leaving constituents without representation for almost a year.
Edwards noted in a 2025 interview with the Houston Press that “we’re in unprecedented times with chaos and disarray, people feeling shut out.”
“What it’s intended to do is have us disengage and have us go away and sit down,” she said. “There’s too much at stake for us to go and sit down and have our education get eroded and have our healthcare be dismantled and all the other things that are on the chopping block as we speak. One of the things I think is important in this conversation is making sure we put someone in who can inspire people to stand up with them.”
Edwards made two unsuccessful bids for the District 18 seat in 2024, facing off against U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the Democratic primary. Jackson Lee won but died before the general election. Edwards ran again, facing Turner, who emerged the victor.
During those campaigns, Edwards built a strong support base. In the November election with 16 candidates in the race, Edwards earned 26 percent of the vote, coming in second to Menefee’s 29 percent. Her supporters, including third-place vote-getter Jolanda Jones, who got 19 percent in November, say Edwards has a strong chance of winning the runoff.
“After campaigning across Texas’ 18th District and listening to our communities, it’s clear who is prepared for this moment,” Jones said last month. “That’s why I’m proud to endorse Amanda Edwards for Congress. Our district deserves representation, and our democracy requires participation. I encourage those who supported me — and everyone who cares about the future of Texas 18 — to show up and vote.”