Christian Menefee, Amanda Edwards advance to runoff to fill late Congressman Sylvester Turner’s seat
According to preliminary results, Christian Menefee leads with 32% of the vote. Amanda Edwards, former Houston City Council member, follows at 25%. Since no one candidate received 50% of the vote a runoff election with the two top performing candidates is likely.
After a long election night in Houston, it appears the race to fill the late Congressman Sylvester Turner’s seat is heading to a runoff with Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards emerging as the top two candidates in a crowded field of 16.
ELECTION RESULTS: Results for Texas 18th Congressional District special election
Menefee, the Harris County Attorney, took the stage Tuesday night to a packed room of cheering supporters in EaDo. As the crowd settled, he announced he was leading the race but acknowledged that a runoff was likely as ballots continued to be counted.
“I’m on cloud nine,” Menefee told KPRC 2 News. “In a race with 16 people, we came out seven points ahead of the next closest candidate. Making clear that we have a groundswell of support, a broad, diverse coalition of folks who are rocking with the campaign. I’m going to sleep great tonight, but tomorrow we get back to work.”
According to preliminary results, Menefee leads with 32% of the vote. Amanda Edwards, former Houston City Council member, follows at 25%. Since no one candidate received 50% of the vote, a runoff election with the two top-performing candidates will take place.
Whoever is elected would serve out the remainder of Turner’s term through the end of 2026.
Menefee told KPRC 2 News Rilwan Balogun that while he plans to rest after a long night, the race is far from over.
“Tomorrow we are right back to it,” he said. “I’ve been running for eight months. I wake up early, I go to sleep early, so I’m in good shape. We’ll be fine continuing to run this race and making clear that I’m the candidate with a track record of standing up for communities and getting things done in a meaningful way.”
The runoff election date has not yet been announced, but Menefee has already made it clear he intends to stay in the race for the long haul. During his speech, he also confirmed for the first time that he plans to run in the March primary for a full term, if elected.
Amanda Edwards, a former Houston City Council member and U.S. Senate candidate, appears to be second in the race and is expected to face Menefee in the runoff.
Edwards addressed her supporters at Tuesday night’s watch party, telling them she’s still filled with optimism. This is the third time that she’s vying for the seat.
Edwards said she is very satisfied with the early voting totals, which put her in a commanding position in second place.
“Right now, it’s just too early to call anything with the early voting numbers,” she said. “Of course, if things stay on trend, we are really well-positioned to make it into this runoff and win this race.”
With the top two candidates now shifting their focus toward the next round, Houston voters can expect another high-profile race as both Menefee and Edwards make their case for one of the city’s most influential congressional seats.
