Axios Houston

January 21, 2026
🚀 Let's rocket into Wednesday.
🌧️ Today's weather: Showers likely with a high near 70.
🌕 Sounds like: "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra.
Today's newsletter is 906 words — a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: 🤔 Clearing up a confusing race for Congress
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 today 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 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 redistricting 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.
2. 🗣️ Your name could be Moon-bound
NASA's latest Moon mission has room for one more thing: your name.
Why it matters: It's largely symbolic, but still, it would be the first time your name leaves this little place we call Earth and heads into space, riding along on a rocket bound for lunar orbit.
State of play: NASA is inviting the public to sign up to add their names on an SD card aboard Orion, the spacecraft slated to orbit the Moon during the Artemis II mission in the near future.
How it works: Sign up here. (It's free.)
- And voilà, NASA generates a digital boarding pass with your name.
By the numbers: Over 2 million people already signed up to have their names on this trip.
The big picture: Artemis II will be the first crewed flight of the Artemis program.
- This flight is another step in returning humans to the Moon.
Zoom way out: The Artemis program is about more than Moon missions — it's laying the groundwork for longer human exploration, including eventual trips to Mars.
Flashback: Artemis I launched in 2022, sending an uncrewed spacecraft around the Moon.
The latest: NASA moved the Artemis II rocket to the launch pad over the weekend and is preparing the rocket for the wet dress rehearsal in the coming days.
What's next: Artemis II is scheduled to launch no later than April 2026, carrying four astronauts — and millions of names — into lunar orbit.
3. Bayou Buzz
👀 A Democratic candidate for district judge in Harris County was barred from appearing on the March primary ballot after being accused of intimidation and collecting fraudulent signatures.
- The candidate, Kim McTorry, said she "strongly" disagreed with the ruling. (Houston Public Media)
🤠 The State Fair of Texas is nixing the rodeo this year but promises the move isn't permanent. (Houston Chronicle)
🌮 Tex-Mex chain El Tiempo opened up shop inside Post Houston. (Chron)
4. 🏒 Long library waits for "Heated Rivalry"
Want more of Ilya and Shane after binging "Heated Rivalry" on HBO Max? You're not alone — there's a long wait to read the books. But you may just get lucky.
Why it matters: The "gay hockey smut" book-turned-streaming-hit became a mega pop culture sensation, and libraries across the country are seeing a long wait.
Driving the news: Rachel Reid's queer, hockey romance series "Game Changers" is in high demand after the TV version premiered in November.
- The "Heated Rivalry" novel, the second in the series that published in 2019, follows two professional male hockey players as they fall in love.
By the numbers: Houston Public Library has 15 copies of the ebook version of "Heated Rivalry." Over 400 people are on the waitlist.
- The library system has 15 ebook copies of "Game Changer," the first in the series and the basis for the third episode. About 430 people are on that waitlist.
Yes, but: HPL has unlimited copies of the audiobooks of the first two books in the series.
- So, queue up the first book, put on your headphones, go for a run — and enjoy a blueberry-banana smoothie after.
Thanks to Astrid Galván for editing this newsletter.
☕️ Shafaq is making vanilla simple syrup.
🎸 Jay is psyched that 311 is playing in Houston on his birthday.
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