HOUSTON — The governor of Texas called for a special election to fill the congressional seat left vacant after the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner after accusing Harris County of poorly-run elections.
The election is now set for Nov. 4, 2025. The deadline for candidates to file to run in the election is Sept. 3. Three candidates have already expressed interest in the race: Amanda Edwards, Isaiah Martin and Christian Menefee.
“No county in Texas does a worse job of conducting elections than Harris County,” said Abbott in an online press release Monday. “They repeatedly fail to conduct elections consistent with state law. Safe and secure elections are critical to the foundation of our state. Forcing Harris County to rush this special election on weeks’ notice would harm the interests of voters. The appropriate time to hold this election is November, which will give Harris County sufficient time to prepare for such an important election.”
Teneshia Hudspeth, Harris County Clerk, responded to the blame cast by Abbott on Friday, saying her office has held eight successful elections under her leadership.
“Since the Texas Legislature returned election administration duties to the Harris County Clerk’s Office on September 1, 2023, my office has successfully conducted eight elections — including the 2024 joint primary election — in collaboration with key stakeholders such as the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, the Harris County Republican and Democratic parties, Commissioners Court, and others,” read a statement on social media. “We remain fully prepared to conduct the Congressional District 18 election as soon as the Governor issues the order.”
Harris County elections faced scrutiny after a state audit for elections in 2021 and 2022 found issues with training, equipment and supplies.
Turner, who represented the 760,000 people of Texas’ 18th Congressional District, died suddenly on March 5.