HOUSTON — Democratic leaders in Washington are calling on Texas Governor Greg Abbott to schedule a special election to fill the vacant 18th Congressional District seat following the death of Representative Sylvester Turner.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies has accused Abbott of deliberately delaying the vote to help Republicans maintain their slim majority in the House of Representatives. According to Jefferies, this majority would enable the passage of a budget approved by President Trump.
In an interview with the New York Times, Jeffries said Abbott was “rigging the system.”
The 18th Congressional District, which encompasses urban Houston and Harris County, has been without representation since Turner, a former Houston mayor, died on March 5, just weeks into his first term in Congress.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, one of the candidates vying for the seat, is urging the governor to set a special election for June. Menefee has threatened legal action, stating he will sue the governor if a vote doesn’t take place by November.
Former City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards has also announced her candidacy for the position.
The congressional seat is one of four vacancies in the U.S. House, where Republicans currently hold a narrow majority with 218 seats compared to Democrats’ 213.
Texas law gives the governor sole authority to call a special election. Abbott may set a November election or schedule an emergency election.
The district is considered a Democratic stronghold, having voted for Kamala Harris by 69% in the 2024 general election. It was previously represented by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee until her death in July 2024. Turner won the election for the full term that began in January.