Amanda Edwards
Amanda Edwards (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 18th Congressional District. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.[source]
Edwards was a member of the Houston City Council in Texas, representing At-large Position 4. She assumed office on January 2, 2016. She left office on January 2, 2020.
Edwards completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Born in Houston, Edwards graduated from Eisenhower High School. She went on to earn an undergraduate degree in political science from Atlanta's Emory University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.[1]
Edwards is an attorney. Her professional experience includes the following:
- 2012-Present: Attorney, Bracewell LLP
- 2008-2012: Attorney, Vinson and Elkins
- 2007-2008: Judicial law clerk, U.S. Federal District Court
- 2006: Summer associate, Arnold and Porter
- 2003-2004: College council president, Emory University[2]
2026 battleground elections
January 31 special election runoff
Ballotpedia identified the January 31, 2026 runoff election as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Christian Menefee (D) defeated Amanda Edwards (D) in the runoff general election for Texas' 18th Congressional District on January 31, 2026.
Menefee and Edwards advanced to the runoff after no candidate received an outright majority in the special election on November 4, 2025. In that election, Menefee received 28.9% of the vote, and Edwards received 25.6%. Candidates from all parties ran in the November 4 election.
This election determined who would serve the remainder of former Rep. Sylvester Turner's (D) term through January 2027. Turner died on March 5, 2025.[3]
Former Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D) represented the district from 1995 until she died in July 2024.[4] On November 5, 2024, Erica Lee Carter (D) won the special election to fill the vacancy, and Sylvester Turner (D) won the general election. Carter represented the district from November 12, 2024, to January 3, 2025, when Turner assumed office.
Menefee was elected Harris County Attorney in 2020. Menefee's campaign website said that he "has been engaged in the national legal fight against Trump—challenging his administration’s efforts to cut funding for life-saving medical research and deny birthright citizenship to immigrant families" and that he was running because "Trump and his allies are making life harder for everyday Americans—rolling back voting rights, attacking reproductive freedom, and rigging the economy for billionaires."[5] Former U.S. Rep. Erica Lee Carter (D), U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), U.S. Rep. Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (D-Texas), former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas), and former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) endorsed Menefee.[6]
Edwards was, at the time of the election, an attorney, nonprofit founder, and former intern for Jackson Lee.[7] Edwards was elected at large to the Houston City Council in 2015 and was a member of the council from 2016 to 2020. Edwards' campaign website said she was "laser-focused on delivering transformative results for the community, from lowering the price of groceries, building better schools, roads, and homes, protecting our healthcare and social security, and standing up to the Trump administration."[8] U.S. Reps. Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.) and Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) endorsed Edwards.[9]
Here's where the candidates' fundraising totals stood through January 30, 2026:
- Menefee raised $2.2 million and spent $1.8 million.
- Edwards raised $1.7 million and spent $1.5 million.
In August 2025, the Texas Legislature voted to redraw the boundaries of all 38 of the state's congressional districts. Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed the new map into law on August 29, 2025. This election took place within the boundaries of the old district. On December 4, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Texas could use the redrawn map in the 2026 elections. Click here to learn more about redistricting in Texas ahead of the 2026 elections.
Menefee completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Click here to read his responses.
March 3 Democratic primary
Ballotpedia identified the March 3 Democratic primary for Texas' 18th Congressional District as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here.
Incumbent Al Green (D), incumbent Christian Menefee (D), Gretchen Brown (D), and Amanda Edwards (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Texas' 18th Congressional District on March 3, 2026. As of January 2026, Green, Menefee, and Edwards led in local media attention.[10]
The primary is taking place in the context of redistricting in Texas ahead of the 2026 elections. Green was elected to represent the 9th District in 2024 and is running for re-election in the 18th District after redistricting shifted the 9th District towards Republicans and moved Green's home address into the 18th District. Sylvester Turner (D) was elected to represent the 18th District in 2024. Turner died in March 2025. Menefee defeated Edwards in the January 31 special runoff election for the remainder of Turner's term. The runoff took place in the 2024 version of the 18th District.
Green was first elected to the House in 2004. Green worked as an attorney in private practice and served as president of the Houston branch of the NAACP.[11] Green is running on his record: "You know that I will stand up to Donald Trump because you saw me do it...You know that I will fight for your health care because you’ve seen me do it. You know that I believe in raising the minimum wage to $25 an hour, because you’ve heard me say it."[10]
Menefee is a litigator and was elected the Harris County Attorney in 2020, when he defeated incumbent Vince Ryan (D). Menefee says he is running "because working people deserve a government that has their back...Christian has spent his career fighting back against bullies, and he’s ready to do it in Washington."[12]
Edwards is a municipal finance attorney and former member of the Houston City Council. Edwards completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, saying she is running because "our community deserves leadership that listens, delivers, and puts people over politics."[13]
If no candidate wins 50% or more of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a May 26 runoff. As of January 2026, major election forecasters rated the general election Solid/Safe Democratic.
According to an Inside Elections analysis of Texas' redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections, the 2024 version of the 9th District—where Green was elected—had a partisan baseline of D+48 and the 2024 version of the 18th District had a partisan baseline of D+39. The partisan baseline of the 2026 version of the 18th District is D+61.[14]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas' 18th Congressional District election, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 18
Incumbent Al Green (D), incumbent Christian Menefee (D), Gretchen Brown (D), and Amanda Edwards (D) are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 3, 2026.
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Sylvester Turner (D)
Republican primary
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 18
Elizabeth Vences (R) and Ronald Whitfield (R) are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Elizabeth Vences | |
| Ronald Whitfield | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Allen Berry (R)
- Cyrus Sajna (R)
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from RealClearPolitics, when available. We will regularly check for polling aggregation for this race and add polls here once available. To notify us of polls available for this race, please email us.
Election campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Green | Democratic Party | $728,813 | $420,335 | $527,563 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Christian Menefee | Democratic Party | $2,225,235 | $1,836,496 | $388,740 | As of January 11, 2026 |
| Gretchen Brown | Democratic Party | $11,938 | $1,400 | $10,538 | As of December 31, 2025 |
| Amanda Edwards | Democratic Party | $1,740,159 | $1,460,807 | $280,566 | As of January 11, 2026 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[15][16][17]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Endorsements
To view Edwards's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2025
See also: Texas' 18th Congressional District special election, 2025
General runoff election
Special general runoff election for U.S. House Texas District 18
Christian Menefee defeated Amanda Edwards in the special general runoff election for U.S. House Texas District 18 on January 31, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Christian Menefee (D) | 67.5 | 11,630 |
 | Amanda Edwards (D) | 32.5 | 5,602 | |
| Total votes: 17,232 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
Special general election for U.S. House Texas District 18
The following candidates ran in the special general election for U.S. House Texas District 18 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Christian Menefee (D) | 28.9 | 22,022 |
| ✔ | | Amanda Edwards (D) | 25.6 | 19,467 |
 | Jolanda Jones (D) | 19.1 | 14,549 | |
 | Carmen Montiel (R) | 6.7 | 5,110 | |
 | Isaiah Martin (D) | 5.7 | 4,337 | |
| Ollie Knox (R) | 4.1 | 3,131 | ||
 | Stephen Huey (D) | 1.9 | 1,415 | |
| Ronald Whitfield (R) | 1.5 | 1,175 | ||
 | Carter Page (R) | 1.2 | 943 | |
 | Theodis Daniel (R) | 1.2 | 937 | |
 | Valencia Williams (D) | 1.2 | 915 | |
| George Foreman (Independent) | 1.1 | 828 | ||
| Feldon Bonner II (D) | 0.7 | 555 | ||
 | Vince Duncan (Independent) | 0.5 | 407 | |
| Reyna Anderson (Independent) | 0.3 | 263 | ||
| Tammie Rochester (G) | 0.2 | 135 | ||
| Total votes: 76,189 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Lizette Prestwich (D)
- Jarvis Johnson (D)
- Derrell Turner (Independent)
- Khris Beal (Independent)
- James Joseph (D)
- Zoe Cadore (D)
- Kivan Polimis (D)
- Chance Davis (Independent)
- Corisha Rogers (D)
- Selena Samuel (D)
- Robert Slater (D)
- Ebony Eatmon (D)
- Peter Filler (D)
- T.J. Baker (D)
- Tejas Tuppera (Independent)
- Laverne Crump (D)
- Barry Dewayne Marchant (D)
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls from a wide variety of sources, including media outlets, social media, campaigns, and aggregation websites, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.
Election campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda Edwards | Democratic Party | $1,266,234 | $935,650 | $331,799 | As of October 15, 2025 |
| Christian Menefee | Democratic Party | $1,539,610 | $1,146,989 | $392,621 | As of October 15, 2025 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2025. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[15][16][18]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Endorsements
Edwards received the following endorsements.
2024
See also: Texas' 18th Congressional District election, 2024
Texas' 18th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)
Texas' 18th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 18
Sylvester Turner defeated Lana Centonze, Vince Duncan, and Kevin Dural in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 18 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sylvester Turner (D) | 69.4 | 151,834 |
 | Lana Centonze (R) | 30.5 | 66,810 | |
| Vince Duncan (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 62 | |
 | Kevin Dural (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 14 | |
| Total votes: 218,720 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ed Atkinson (Veteran's Party)
- Sheila Jackson Lee (D)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 18
Incumbent Sheila Jackson Lee defeated Amanda Edwards and Robert Slater (Unofficially withdrew) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sheila Jackson Lee | 60.0 | 23,629 |
| Amanda Edwards | 37.3 | 14,668 | |
 | Robert Slater (Unofficially withdrew) | 2.7 | 1,059 | |
| Total votes: 39,356 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jasmine Blue (D)
- Isaiah Martin (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 18
Lana Centonze defeated Aaron Hermes in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lana Centonze | 53.3 | 6,202 |
 | Aaron Hermes | 46.7 | 5,438 | |
| Total votes: 11,640 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Edwards in this election.
2020
See also: United States Senate election in Texas, 2020
United States Senate election in Texas, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)
United States Senate election in Texas, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent John Cornyn defeated Mary Jennings Hegar, Kerry McKennon, David B. Collins, and Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John Cornyn (R) | 53.5 | 5,962,983 |
 | Mary Jennings Hegar (D) | 43.9 | 4,888,764 | |
 | Kerry McKennon (L) | 1.9 | 209,722 | |
 | David B. Collins (G) | 0.7 | 81,893 | |
 | Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 678 | |
| Total votes: 11,144,040 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Arjun Srinivasan (Independent)
- Cedric Jefferson (People Over Politics Party)
- James Brumley (The Human Rights Party)
- Tim Smith (Independent)
Democratic primary runoff election
Democratic primary runoff for U.S. Senate Texas
Mary Jennings Hegar defeated Royce West in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. Senate Texas on July 14, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Jennings Hegar | 52.2 | 502,516 |
 | Royce West | 47.8 | 459,457 | |
| Total votes: 961,973 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mary Jennings Hegar | 22.3 | 417,160 |
| ✔ | | Royce West | 14.7 | 274,074 |
 | Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez | 13.2 | 246,659 | |
 | Annie Garcia | 10.3 | 191,900 | |
| Amanda Edwards | 10.1 | 189,624 | |
 | Chris Bell | 8.5 | 159,751 | |
 | Sema Hernandez | 7.4 | 137,892 | |
 | Michael Cooper | 4.9 | 92,463 | |
 | Victor Harris | 3.2 | 59,710 | |
 | Adrian Ocegueda | 2.2 | 41,566 | |
 | Jack Daniel Foster Jr. | 1.7 | 31,718 | |
 | D.R. Hunter | 1.4 | 26,902 | |
| Total votes: 1,869,419 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- John Love III (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent John Cornyn defeated Dwayne Stovall, Mark Yancey, John Castro, and Virgil Bierschwale in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Cornyn | 76.0 | 1,470,669 |
 | Dwayne Stovall | 11.9 | 231,104 | |
 | Mark Yancey | 6.5 | 124,864 | |
 | John Castro | 4.5 | 86,916 | |
 | Virgil Bierschwale | 1.1 | 20,494 | |
| Total votes: 1,934,047 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Green convention
Green convention for U.S. Senate Texas
David B. Collins advanced from the Green convention for U.S. Senate Texas on April 18, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | David B. Collins (G) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas
Kerry McKennon advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas on August 3, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Kerry McKennon (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
2015
- See also: Houston, Texas municipal elections, 2015
The city of Houston, Texas, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was August 24, 2015.[19] In the race for At-Large Position 4, Roy Morales and Amanda Edwards defeated Larry Blackmon, Jonathan Hansen, Matt Murphy, Laurie Robinson and Evelyn Husband Thompson in the general election. Edwards defeated Morales in the runoff election on December 12, 2015.[20][21]
Amanda Edwards defeated Roy Morales in the runoff election.
| Houston City Council At-large Position 4, Runoff election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Amanda Edwards |
61.5% | 106,126 |
| Roy Morales | 38.5% | 66,372 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting) | 172,498 | |
| Source: Harris County, Texas, "Runoff Election Results," December 12, 2015 | ||
| Houston City Council At-large Position 4, General election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Amanda Edwards |
34.9% | 67,261 |
| Roy Morales |
16.9% | 32,563 |
| Laurie Robinson | 16.4% | 31,628 |
| Evelyn Husband Thompson | 13.4% | 25,880 |
| Matt Murphy | 9.2% | 17,722 |
| Larry Blackmon | 5.8% | 11,101 |
| Jonathan Hansen | 3.3% | 6,444 |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 |
| Total Votes (100% of precincts reporting) | 192,599 | |
| Source: Harris County Texas, "Official general election results," accessed November 16, 2015 | ||
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Amanda Edwards completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Edwards' responses.
| Collapse all
I began my public service working in Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s office, helping families navigate federal resources and bringing solutions back home. On Houston City Council, I worked to strengthen fiscal responsibility, support small businesses, invest in resilient infrastructure, and advance equity-focused economic development.
My work has always centered on people: protecting access to healthcare, creating pathways to good-paying jobs, supporting entrepreneurs, and building safer, stronger neighborhoods. I am running for Congress because our community deserves leadership that listens, delivers, and puts people over politics. I have the vision, the skills, and the experience to deliver policies for our communities so that everyone can thrive.- I am running to put people over politics and deliver real results for Houston families. As a former At-Large City Council Member and public finance attorney, I have a proven record of turning policy into progress — expanding economic opportunity, strengthening infrastructure, supporting small businesses, and protecting access to healthcare. We need these foundational investments in our communities to create a system where everyone can thrive. I know how to navigate government to bring home the bacon and make sure our community gets its fair share.
- Our democracy only works when every voice is heard and every vote is protected. I will fight to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore federal preclearance, stop discriminatory election laws before they take effect, and hold states accountable when they target vulnerable communities. I oppose extreme and mid-decade gerrymandering that silences communities of color and undermines fair representation. In Congress, I will defend reproductive freedom, protect civil rights, and strengthen the foundations of our democracy so families decide the future of our communities.
- As a product of Eisenhower High School, I know strong public schools are the backbone of opportunity and economic mobility. I will fight to fully fund public education, protect neighborhood schools, and ensure every child—regardless of ZIP code—has access to quality teachers, safe facilities, modern technology, and pathways to success. That means increasing federal investment in Title I schools, expanding workforce training and apprenticeships, and supporting educators with fair pay and classroom resources. As a former Houston City Council Member, I worked to connect education, workforce development, and economic opportunity so students can graduate prepared to thrive. In Congress, I will always put students first.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Edwards' campaign website stated the following:
We Deserve a Healthier 18th Congressional District. We Deserve a Safer 18th Congressional District. We Deserve a More Resilient 18th Congressional District. We Deserve a More Equitable 18th Congressional District.
We Deserve an 18th Congressional District Where Everyone Can Thrive. We deserve an 18th Congressional District where everyone can thrive — not just the few at the top, but all of us.
The past few years have shown us what happens when we allow leaders who prioritize personal gain over the well-being of the people they serve. Under President Trump’s leadership, our country has seen devastating attacks on our democracy, divisive rhetoric that weakened communities, and policies that have harmed the middle class and working families.
We need a change. We need someone who works for the people, not against us.
A Thriving 18th Congressional District
Amanda has always fought for an economy that works for everyone. As a Houston City Council member, she created the City of Houston Women and Minority-Owned Business Task Force to ensure that small business owners have fair access to capital. Amanda also fought for higher wages and better protections for workers — something the Trump administration has consistently tried to undermine.
As a proud graduate of Eisenhower High School, Amanda knows that the foundation for a better future starts with high-quality public education. And unlike Trump’s undermining of our public schools and gutting of the U.S. Department of Education, Amanda believes that every child deserves a great education, and that higher education should be accessible to all.
As a Member of Congress, Amanda will:
- Expand access to capital, training, and other resources for small business owners.
- Strengthen the rights of workers to unionize and collectively bargain, and push back against the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken worker protections.
- Fight for a true living wage, because hardworking Americans deserve to earn enough to support their families.
- Create opportunities for workers by expanding apprenticeship programs and introduce innovative and modern approaches to job training.
- Tackle the soaring costs of higher education, champion initiatives to support community colleges, and fund innovative education initiatives in our neighborhood schools.
- Fight back against the Trump administration’s wholesale attacks on the federal programs and agencies we rely on, starting with working to reverse the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” which passed in July and will slash food programs like SNAP and Meals on Wheels, leaving millions of people hungry; shrink the funding available to students trying to pay for graduate school; rob more than sixteen million people of healthcare access nationally; and raise taxes for more than fourteen million households – all to pay for tax cuts for a handful of billionaires.
A Healthy 18th Congressional District
Amanda knows firsthand that healthcare access isn’t just a policy issue — it’s a matter of life and death. Having lost both of her parents to cancer, Amanda understands the importance of affordable healthcare. Under Trump, millions of Americans are now left vulnerable as his administration guts Medicaid, actively dismantles the Affordable Care Act and rolls back protections for pre-existing conditions.
Here in Texas, we have the most uninsured people in the country, in part because our state leadership refused to expand Medicaid under the ACA. Texans also live with bans on reproductive health care – and experience some of the biggest health disparities in the country, including one of the highest rates of Black maternal mortality. We deserve leadership that puts people’s health first.
As a member of Congress, Amanda will:
- Fight for health care access for everyone, ranging from plugging the gaps in Affordable Care Act coverage that leave too many residents underinsured to lowering the price of prescription drugs & premiums.
- Work to preserve Medicare, Social Security, and other benefits that our seniors rely on to survive – and defend these vital programs against the slash-and-burn tactics of the Trump administration.
- Address Black maternal mortality and other disproportionate health outcomes by securing research funding for conditions that disproportionately harm communities of color and working to expand access to care.
- Protect health privacy by expanding HIPAA to ensure that private medical decisions, especially decisions about women’s reproductive health, truly stay private.
- Work to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade at the federal level.
- Fight against bounty-style abortion bans by pursuing protections that would prevent the stalking or hunting of people seeking abortion care.
A Resilient 18th Congressional District
When Amanda served on H-GAC, our regional planning body, she learned that our eight-county region will grow by 4.2 million people within 20 years. With this type of anticipated growth, ensuring resiliency by investing in our transportation and flood mitigation infrastructure, housing stock, and the systems that power our region is mission critical. But under Trump, federal investment in critical infrastructure and climate change mitigation being slashed, and environmental rules that protect the health of our communities are being rolled back wholesale. Amanda is prepared to fight back against this disinvestment and bring our district the investments in flood infrastructure, disaster recovery, and environmental remediation that we need and deserve.
As a Member of Congress, Amanda will:
- Champion an improved, efficient, long-term funding system to address the unique infrastructure needs of the Houston region – especially the flood infrastructure that is increasingly taxed by major storms.
- Fight to ensure that our disaster systems – from early warning through disaster relief and recovery – have the funding and resources necessary to protect and restore our communities.
- Work across industries and communities to ensure Houston will lead the energy transition – and be the energy capital of the world of today and tomorrow
- Invest in multi-modal transportation infrastructure to support the anticipated 4 million people joining our region.
- Work to right-size our housing supply by expanding federal support for housing planning for cities and using federal resources to incentivize the building of new housing.
- Develop innovative solutions to protect our residents from gentrification and displacement, and champion increased resources for CDBG programs.
- Support policies that combat climate change, which continues to pose severe threats to the longevity of our community.
An Equitable 18th Congressional District
Amanda is inspired in her work by the deep civil rights legacy of the 18th Congressional District. The late, legendary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and Congressman Mickey Leland made our region an important hub in the fight for democracy and civil rights for everyone. But today, our civil rights are under threat in a way we have not seen in generations. From Trump’s wholesale targeting of immigrant communities, to his willingness to unleash the military against peaceful protesters, to his attacks on birthright citizenship, voting rights, elections – and the very existence of the 18th Congressional District – the foundations of our democracy are in danger. We need a representative in Congress who understands the stakes – and will not back down from this fight.
Amanda, with her deep roots in the district and her record of stalwart service to our community, is the leader we need in this moment.
As a Member of Congress, Amanda will:
- Fight to keep the 18th Congressional District in tact against an ongoing redistricting effort that is an explicit attempt by the Trump Administration to strip Black and Latino Texans of their voting power.
- Champion a comprehensive approach to securing our democracy, including expanding and protecting voting rights and addressing the extreme gerrymandering that suppresses the votes of Black and Latino communities.
- Fight to ensure LGBTQIA+ people are federally protected from discriminatory policies that states including Texas are increasingly enacting.
- Fight for environmental justice. Develop comprehensive equitable solutions for communities impacted by environmental injustice and resulting health issues, like the Fifth Ward cancer cluster.
A Safe 18th Congressional District
Having lost her own cousin at an early age to gun violence, Amanda knows real solutions are needed to keep more families from losing their loved ones. But Trump’s repeated failure to address the gun violence epidemic in America, combined with his consistently encouraging rhetoric toward political violence, has left our communities without the safety and security they deserve. In contrast to this failure of leadership, Amanda knows that everyone deserves to be safe, both from crime and from police violence. Amanda will fight for a common-sense gun safety regime, and a law enforcement and justice system that treats us all fairly.
As a Member of Congress, Amanda will:
- Advocate for community-led training and resources to support true community policing practices that build trust and collaboration between law enforcement and our communities.
- Support reforms included in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
- Fight for common-sense gun control measures, including mandatory background checks and a federal red flag law.
- Support the expansion of community violence intervention programs, which are proven to make a difference in the safety of our communities.
— Amanda Edwards' campaign website (January 21, 2026)
Campaign ads
View more ads here:
2025
Amanda Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign ads
View more ads here:
2024
Amanda Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Edwards’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
A Thriving 18th Congressional District As a member of Congress, Amanda will:
A Healthy 18th Congressional District As a member of Congress, Amanda will:
A Resilient 18th Congressional District As a member of Congress, Amanda will:
An Equitable 18th Congressional District As a Member of Congress, Amanda will:
A Safe 18th Congressional District As a Member of Congress, Amanda will:
|
” |
| —Amanda Edwards’s campaign website (2024)[23] | ||
2020
Amanda Edwards did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2015
The following excerpts highlight Edwards' campaign themes as listed on her website:[24]
Improving infrastructure and transportation
| “ | Our city's aging infrastructure and worsening traffic present major problems for Houstonians on a daily basis. We must do better. That means:
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” |
Strengthening our economy and fiscal health
| “ | Houston's economy has rebounded well from the economic downturn, but many Houstonians are still struggling. We can do more to expand opportunity, including:
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” |
Protecting public safety
| “ | There is no greater priority than keeping our neighborhoods safe. On City Council, I will support:
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” |
Enhancing quality of life
| “ | Houston is a great place to live, and we can make it even more livable for all Houstonians. That means:
|
” |
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate U.S. House Texas District 18 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Official campaign website of Amanda Edwards, "Meet Amanda," accessed September 16, 2015
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Amanda Edwards," accessed September 16, 2015
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Houston Chronicle, "Sylvester Turner, former Houston mayor, dies at 69," March 5, 2025
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "JACKSON LEE, Sheila," accessed October 25, 2025
- ↑ Christian Menefee 2025 campaign finance, "About," accessed October 9, 2025
- ↑ Christian Menefee 2025 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed October 10, 2025
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Amanda Edwards," accessed October 8, 2025
- ↑ Amanda Edwards 2025 campaign website, "Home," accessed October 9, 2025
- ↑ Amanda Edwards 2025 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed October 10, 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Houston Public Media, "Longtime Houston Rep. Al Green switching to 18th Congressional District in run for reelection." November 7, 2025
- ↑ Al Green campaign website, "Meet Al Green," accessed January 14, 2026
- ↑ Christian Menefee campaign website, "About," accessed January 14, 2026
- ↑ Information submitted via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on January 26, 2026.
- ↑ Inside Elections, "A Detailed Analysis of Texas’ New Congressional Map," August 27, 2025
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
- ↑ Harris County, "Important 2015 Election Dates," accessed January 12, 2015
- ↑ City of Houston website, "November 3, 2015 General Election Candidates," accessed August 27, 2015
- ↑ Harris County Texas, "Unofficial general election results," accessed November 3, 2015
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Amanda Edwards for Congress, “Policy,” accessed January 19, 2024
- ↑ Official campaign website of Amanda Edwards, "Priorities," accessed September 16, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by C.O. "Brad" Bradford |
Houston City Council, At-large Position 4 2016–2020 |
Succeeded by Letitia Plummer |
