Menefee and Edwards face Jan. 31 runoff to fill Houston’s vacant 18th District House seat
A high-stakes local runoff after a year without representation
Voters in Texas’ 18th Congressional District are set to decide Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, who will complete the remainder of a U.S. House term that runs through January 2027. The seat has been vacant since Rep. Sylvester Turner died on March 5, 2025, two months into his first term in Congress.
The runoff features two Democrats: Christian Menefee, who has served as Harris County attorney since 2021, and Amanda Edwards, a former at-large Houston city council member. In the initial special election on Nov. 4, 2025, Menefee led a 16-candidate field with about 29% of the vote, while Edwards followed with nearly 26%, sending the race to a runoff because no candidate cleared a majority.
How the vote has unfolded across the district
Returns from the November contest showed differing geographic strengths. Menefee ran strongest inside the Loop, including areas such as Downtown, the Heights and MacGregor. Edwards’ best performance came in the northern portion of the district, including neighborhoods such as Acres Homes, Carverdale and Inwood.
Endorsements have also split along local political lines. Former U.S. Rep. Erica Lee Carter has backed Menefee. State Rep. Jolanda Jones, who finished third in November with about 19% of the vote, has endorsed Edwards.
Campaign finance and the context of a narrowly divided House
Both candidates have run well-funded campaigns. Recent campaign finance totals reported in election coverage show Menefee raising and spending more than Edwards, with figures varying by reporting window but consistently showing Menefee ahead in fundraising and advertising expenditures.
Because the district is widely regarded as safely Democratic, the runoff is expected to produce a Democratic member of Congress, a result that would affect the overall House count at a time when the Republican majority has been narrow.
Weather disruptions and a court-ordered extension of early voting
Severe winter weather disrupted early voting in Harris County, leading election officials to close early voting centers on Sunday and Monday during the final stretch of the early voting period. Voting rights organizations filed suit seeking additional days to make up for the lost time.
A Harris County district judge issued an emergency order extending early voting to include Wednesday (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and Thursday (noon to 7 p.m.). The order set conditions for ballots cast during the added days, including the use of provisional ballots to comply with federal requirements.
What changes after the runoff
The winner will take office to serve the balance of the current term. The election is being conducted under existing district lines, but the area’s congressional map is expected to change ahead of the next election cycle, meaning the district’s boundaries and political terrain may shift again before voters choose a full-term representative.
- Runoff Election Day: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026
- Seat vacancy began: March 5, 2025
- Top finishers in Nov. 4, 2025, special election: Menefee (~29%), Edwards (~26%)
The runoff determines who will represent the district in Washington for the remainder of the current term, following an extended vacancy and a weather-disrupted voting period.