Harris County Prosecutor Christian Menefee, a Democrat, won a special runoff election on Saturday to serve out the remainder of the term of former Texas Rep. Sylvester, who died last year.
The Associated Press projects Menifee defeated attorney and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards in the long process to fill the downtown Houston seat following Turner’s death in March 2025. The process was prompted by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s refusal to quickly schedule a special election after Turner’s death and triggered a runoff after the first round of voting in November.
But the race between the two men will continue: Menifee, 37, and Edwards, 44, will both run in the March primary for the newly remodeled 18th Congressional District against 78-year-old Rep. Al Green. The winner will be expected to win a full two-year term in November.
The March primary election is latest example The two young Democrats will take on Greene, a progressive icon who has served in Congress for more than two decades, fueling a generational change debate in the Democratic Party. It’s a national fight pitting younger and older factions of the party against each other because they each believe they are the better fighter against the Republican Party.
Residents of the district have not had consistent representation since former Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee died in 2024. Lee has held the seat for three decades.
Greene’s current district has been thrown into disarray by Texas Republican redistricting, prompting him to run to represent a new district that includes many of his constituents.
Menifee’s victory significantly boosted his public profile ahead of the primary. Early voting will begin in two weeks.
