Houston election: Texas' 18th Congressional District runoff Saturday

HOUSTON - A special runoff election is being held Saturday to fill the vacant U.S. House seat in Texas' 18th Congressional District.

Houston-area voters will decide between Democrats Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards.

MAP: Polling locations for special runoff election

Who are the candidates?

Texas CD-18 candidates' final messages ahead of runoff elections

Saturday, Jan. 31, is election day for Texas Congressional District 18, which includes much of inner-city Houston and the surrounding areas. FOX 26's Angie Rodriguez spoke to both runoff candidates for their final messages to voters.

Christian Menefee

Democrat Christian Menefee worked as a commercial litigator in Houston before becoming the youngest and first Black Harris County Attorney in 2020.

A message on his campaign site reads, "Christian is running for Congress because working people deserve a government that has their back. Trump and his allies are making life harder for everyday Americans—rolling back voting rights, attacking reproductive freedom, and rigging the economy for billionaires. Christian has spent his career fighting back against bullies, and he’s ready to do it in Washington."

Amanda Edwards

Amanda Edwards – an attorney – has sought to represent CD-18 twice before –first in a losing head-to-head primary with Sheila Jackson Lee, and again in a very close contest with Turner decided by Democratic precinct chairs in favor of the former Mayor. She recently served as an At-Large Houston City Council Member.

Part of her campaign site reads, "Amanda Edwards wants to ensure that everyone in the community (no matter what their zip code or background) has the opportunity to succeed. She’s laser-focused on delivering transformative results for the community, from lowering the price of groceries, building better schools, roads, and homes, protecting our healthcare and social security, and standing up to the Trump administration."

REWATCH: Texas CD-18 runoff debate

Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards joined FOX 26 Political Reporter Greg Groogan for an hour-long debate as the final candidates for Texas Congressional District 18, which covers much of the Houston area.

Why is a runoff election being held?

The backstory:

U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner died on March 5, 2025, leaving his seat vacant.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for a special election on Nov. 4, 2025 to elect the person who will finish out the term that expires in January 2027.

There was no primary election to narrow down the field of candidates, so 16 names appeared on the Nov. 4 ballot.

In order to win the election, a candidate would have needed to get more than 50% of the vote. Because no single candidate got more than 50% of the vote, the race will head to a runoff between the two candidates who got the most votes.

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Christian Menefee, Amanda Edwards head to runoff for U.S. House seat in Texas' 18th Congressional District

The race to fill late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s seat in Congress is headed to a runoff. Democrats Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards were the top two voter-getters in Tuesday's election.

About Texas’ 18th Congressional District

Texas’ 18th Congressional District includes much of inner-city Houston and the surrounding areas. It reportedly represents over 760,000 Houstonians as of the 2020 Census.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee represented the district for nearly three decades from 1995 until her death in July 2024.

Jackson Lee’s daughter, Erica Lee Carter, won a special election to finish out her mother’s term from November 2024 to January 2025.

Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was elected to represent Texas' 18th Congressional District for the following term in the November 2024 election. He took office in January 2025 and passed away in March, leaving the seat vacant.

Voters are now deciding who will finish out the term that expires in January 2027.