What to know about the race to replace Houston's Sylvester Turner in Congress
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Candidates Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards. Photos: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle; Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Voters are heading to the polls again in the head-swiveling process to replace U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, and we have your questions answered.
Why it matters: The Democratic-leaning 18th Congressional District has been without representation since Turner died nearly a year ago.
- But whoever wins the special election may be in office only through the end of the year. Voters will cast ballots again in March to pick a Democratic candidate for the November election to determine who will represent the district for the full two-year term starting in 2027.
Driving the news: Early voting in a special election runoff between Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards starts Wednesday and runs through Jan. 27. Election day is Jan. 31.
Zoom in: Menefee is the former elected Harris County attorney, while Edwards — also an attorney — served on Houston City Council from 2016 to 2020.
- The candidates are "ideologically similar" and will have to drum up voter turnout to win, University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus told Axios in November.
The big picture: The next election for the 18th Congressional District will be under a redrawn congressional district map approved by the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature last year, meaning the district will have different geographical boundaries — and a major new contender.
State of play: U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-Houston), whose current 9th Congressional District will favor Republicans after redistricting, announced in November that he's running for the 18th District for the 2027 term.
- The winner of the special election will likely be the front-runner against Green, who's represented Houston in Congress since 2005 and has staunchly opposed President Trump.
- There are four candidates in the March race: Green, Menefee, Edwards and political newcomer Gretchen Brown. Political novice Ronald Dwayne Whitfield is running unopposed in the Republican primary.
Between the lines: Though the shakeup concentrated Black and Latino voters in fewer districts and turned several Democratic strongholds into Republican-favored districts, the 18th is expected to stay blue.
Zoom out: To check if you're eligible to vote in the March primary for the newly drawn 18th Congressional District, search your address after clicking the pin icon on the top right of this state of Texas website.
The bottom line: Check out Harris Votes for where and when to vote.