Democrat Christian Menefee wins election for U.S. House, narrowing GOP's slim majority

Democrat Christian Menefee won a Texas U.S. House spot successful a peculiar predetermination Saturday that volition constrictive Republicans' already-slim majority, telling President Donald Trump that the Democratic territory "topples corrupt presidencies."

Menefee, the Harris County attorney, prevailed successful a runoff against Amanda Edwards, a erstwhile Houston City Council member. He volition regenerate the precocious Rep. Sylvester Turner, a erstwhile Houston mayor, who died successful March 2025.

The spot representing the heavy Democratic Houston-based territory has been vacant for astir a year.

Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott didn't docket the archetypal circular of voting until November. Menefee and Edwards were the apical vote-getters successful a 16-candidate, all-parties primary. They precocious to a runoff due to the fact that nary campaigner won a bulk of the vote.

Speaking to supporters astatine his triumph party, Menefee promised to combat for cosmopolitan wellness insurance, question to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem implicit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and "tear ICE up from the roots."

He besides addressed Trump directly, noting that 1 of the district's astir storied representatives, Democrat Barbara Jordan, was an eloquent dependable for President Richard Nixon's impeachment earlier his 1974 resignation.

"The results present contiguous are a mandate for maine to enactment arsenic hard arsenic I tin to reason your agenda, to combat backmost against wherever you're taking this state and to analyse your crimes," Menefee said.

Menefee volition capable the remainder of Turner's term, which ends erstwhile a caller Congress is sworn successful to bureau successful January 2027.

Abbott had argued that Houston officials needed the six months betwixt Turner's decease and the archetypal circular of voting to hole for the peculiar election, but Democrats criticized the agelong hold arsenic a determination designed to springiness the GOP a somewhat bigger cushion successful the House for hard votes.

While campaigning Saturday, Edwards, 44, referenced the agelong vacancy successful a video she posted to societal media, saying voters person gone excessively agelong without a dependable successful Washington. Later, she told supporters astatine her ticker enactment that the contention "never was astir winning a peculiar seat."

"This travel has ever been astir creating a assemblage wherever each azygous idiosyncratic successful it, nary substance what their background, nary substance wherever they were from, nary substance wherever they lived, would person the accidental to thrive," she said. "That means entree to wellness care. That means education. That means economics."

Menefee, 37, was endorsed by respective salient Texas Democrats, including erstwhile congressman Beto O'Rourke and Rep. Jasmine Crockett. He was joinedon Saturday by Crockett, who is moving for the U.S. Senate.

Menefee ousted an incumbent successful 2020 to go Harris County's archetypal Black region attorney, representing the region successful civilian cases, and helium has joined ineligible challenges to Trump's migration enforcement orders.

Edwards served 4 years connected the Houston City Council starting successful 2016. She ran for U.S. Senate successful 2020 but finished 5th successful a 12-person primary. She unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee successful the 2024 primary, and erstwhile Lee died that July, section Democrats narrowly nominated Turner implicit Edwards arsenic Lee's replacement.

Menefee finished up of Edwards successful the primary, but Edwards picked up the endorsement of the third-place finisher, authorities Rep. Jolanda Jones, who said Edwards had skills "best suited to spell against Trump."

After Saturday, yet different predetermination lies up successful small implicit a month. Both Menefee and Edwards are connected the ballot again connected March 3, erstwhile they volition look Democratic Rep. Al Green successful different predetermination — this 1 a Democratic superior successful a recently drawn 18th legislature district, for the afloat word that starts successful 2027.

GOP lawmakers who power the Texas authorities authorities drew a caller representation past summertime for this year's midterms, pushed by Trump to make 5 much winnable seats for Republicans to assistance sphere their majority.

Winter upwind added to voters' confusion, forcing section officials to cancel 2 days of beforehand voting this week, prompting a civilian rights radical to spell to tribunal to triumph a two-day hold into Thursday.