Candidates frustrated with Gov. Greg Abbott as TX-18 election date still hasn't been set
The Brief
No election date has been scheduled to fill Sylvester Turner's seat in Texas' 18th Congressional district.
Gov. Greg Abbott must set the election date.
The district which represents much of inner-city Houston and surrounding areas.
HOUSTON - Several candidates have declared their candidacy for late Congressman Sylvester Turner's open seat, but, at this time, no date has been set for the special election to replace him.
Governor Greg Abbott must schedule the special election to replace Turner, but with every vote counting in Congress, some are accusing the governor of intentionally dragging out the process to fill a seat in the heavily Democratic 18th District.
The special election is typically held to coincide with a regularly scheduled election date.
The next regularly scheduled election is Saturday, May 3, 2025, but the deadline to put a vote for Texas' 18th District on the ballot was missed.
The next election after that will be held on November 4, 2025.
What they're saying
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, who is running for the seat representing Texas' 18th Congressional District, called on Gov. Abbott to put the special election on the calendar.
He held a news conference on Monday.
"It's no secret that Gov. Abbott and I don't agree on many policies. I've pushed back against him many times. But the one thing we should both be able to agree on is that all Texans deserve representation," said Menefee. "Governor Abbott is fully aware of his legal obligation to call a special election when a vacancy occurs, as he has acknowledged under both the U.S. Constitution and Texas law. In the past, he has called special elections just days after vacancies in other districts, including as few as 4 days after a vacancy in Texas's 34th District in 2022. Yet, despite the urgency of the situation in the 18th District—especially as hurricane season looms—Abbott has remained silent."
Former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards also posted on social media last week called for the special election.
Local perspective
Until the election, Texas' 18th Congressional District will not have a vote in the House of Representatives.
The district's offices will continue to represent the people of TX-18 by offering constituent services.
Big picture view
Republicans currently hold 218 seats in the US House. Democrats hold 213.
There are currently four seats that are vacant in Congress, including TX-18.
Last week, President Donald Trump announced that he was pulling Rep. Elise Stefanik's nomination to the United Nations over concerns that it could threaten Republicans' tight majority in the House, posting on Truth Social that it was "essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress."
The announcement shows a growing concern among some in the GOP that the majority will narrow and risk their control of the chamber.
The backstory
Congressman Sylvester Turner died on March 5, 2025.
Turner was elected to represent Texas' 18th Congressional District in the November 2024 election.
The district includes much of inner-city Houston and the surrounding areas.
Before Turner, the seat was held for a short time by Erica Lee Carter, the daughter of late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Lee represented the district from 1995 until July 2024, when she died of pancreatic cancer.
Abbott called the special election to fill Lee's seat about two weeks after her death.
Several candidates have already filed FEC paperwork to run for Texas' 18th District.
Democrats:
Christian Menefee
Amanda Edwards
Laverne Crump
Earnest Clayton
Kivan Polimis
Robert Slater
Selena Samuel
Isaiah Martin
James Joseph
Republicans:
Deshon Porter
Cyrus Sajna
Independents:
Derrell Turner
Chance Davis
Khristopher Beal
Tejas Tuppera
The Source
Information in this article comes from Christian Menefee, the Federal Election Commission and the Associated Press.
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