Ollie Knox
Ollie Knox (Republican Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 18th Congressional District. He lost in the special general election on November 4, 2025.
2025 battleground election
Ballotpedia identified the Nov, 4, 2025, general election as a battleground election. The summary below is from our coverage of this election, found here. Christian Menefee (D) and Amanda Edwards (D) advanced from the special general election on November 4, 2025 to a runoff. Candidates from all parties ran in the election. Because no candidate won an outright majority, the top two candidates advanced to a general runoff. As of November 5, 2025, a general runoff date had not been scheduled. Ballotpedia will make updates once the election is scheduled. The winner of this election will be the fourth person to represent the district since 2024 and will serve the remainder of former Rep. Sylvester Turner's term through January 2027.
Former Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D) represented the district from 1995 until she died in July 2024.[1] On Nov. 5, 2024, Erica Lee Carter won the special election to fill the vacancy, and Sylvester Turner won the general election. Carter represented the district from Nov. 12, 2024, to Jan. 3, 2025, when Turner assumed office. Turner died on March 5, 2025.[2]
As of November 3, 2025, Republicans had a 219-213 House majority with three vacancies.[3]
Four candidates — Menefee, Edwards, Jolanda Jones (D), and Carmen Montiel (R) — led in media attention, polling, and endorsements.
- Menefee was elected Harris County Attorney in 2020. His campaign website said he had "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 ran 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."[4] Former U.S. Rep. Erica Lee Carter (D), who represented the district for two months after Lee's death, 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.[5]
- Edwards was an attorney and founded a nonprofit.[6] She was elected at large to the Houston City Council in 2015 and was a member of the council from 2016 to 2020. Her 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."[7] U.S. Reps. Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.) and Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) endorsed Edwards.[8]
- Jones was an attorney and was elected to represent District 147 in the Texas House of Representatives in 2022. Before she was elected to the state House, Jones was also a member of the Houston City Council and the Houston Independent School District school board. Jones' campaign website said she would, "fight to stop Trump cuts to healthcare and Medicaid, Social Security, education, and veterans ... fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs, expand coverage for mental health care and substance abuse – and make healthcare more affordable and accessible for all of us."[9] Former U.S. Rep. Craig Washington (D), who represented the district from 1989 to 1995, and U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) endorsed Jones.[10]
- Montiel was a real estate broker and former news anchor.[11] According to her campaign website, Montiel grew up in Venezuela and came to the U.S. in 1998. Her campaign website said she "witnessed firsthand the devastating collapse of Venezuela under socialist rule.... That experience drives Carmen’s mission today. She understands, better than most, what happens when a nation abandons its core values. She sees the warning signs in America, and she refuses to stay silent."[12] Montiel's campaign website said she would advocate for "secure borders", "safe communities", "economic opportunity", and "education free from political indoctrination."[12] Former Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) and Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller (R) endorsed Montiel.[13]
On September 21, 2025, AfroVibes TV hosted a debate with nine candidates. Edwards, Jones, Menefee, and Montiel all participated. Click here to watch the debate.
According to the financial reports filed with the FEC on October 15, 2025, the following is a breakdown of the amount each candidate raised and spent. Click here to see each candidate's campaign finance reports.
- Menefee raised $1.5 million and spent $1.1 million.
- Edwards raised $1.3 million and spent $936,000.
- Jones raised $342,000 and spent $314,000.
- Montiel raised $61,000 and spent $41,000.
According to the Texas Tribune's Natalia Contreras, "The 18th Congressional District, which includes inner Houston and surrounding Harris County areas, is home to more than 760,000 people. It was shaped by redistricting that followed the 1965 Voting Rights Act — signed into law by president Lyndon B. Johnson — and deliberately crafted to strengthen minority representation in Houston."[14]
The Texas Legislature voted to redraw the state's congressional district boundaries, including those of the 18th District, in August 2025. Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed the new map into law on August 29, 2025. The special election took place within the boundaries of the old district. Click here to learn more about redistricting in Texas ahead of the 2026 elections.
Feldon Bonner II (D), Stephen Huey (D), Isaiah Martin (D), Valencia Williams (D), Theodis Daniel (R), Ollie Knox (R), Carter Page (R), Ronald Whitfield (R), Tammie Rochester (G), Reyna Anderson (Independent), Vince Duncan (Independent), and George Foreman (Independent) also ran.
Huey, Menefee, Montiel, and Rochester completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Click here to read their responses.
Elections
2025
See also: Texas' 18th Congressional District special election, 2025
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 | 21,979 |
| ✔ |  | Amanda Edwards (D) | 25.6 | 19,440 |
 | Jolanda Jones (D) | 19.1 | 14,524 | |
 | Carmen Montiel (R) | 6.7 | 5,107 | |
 | Isaiah Martin (D) | 5.7 | 4,336 | |
| Ollie Knox (R) | 4.1 | 3,130 | ||
 | Stephen Huey (D) | 1.9 | 1,414 | |
| Ronald Whitfield (R) | 1.5 | 1,174 | ||
 | Carter Page (R) | 1.2 | 943 | |
 | Theodis Daniel (R) | 1.2 | 937 | |
 | Valencia Williams (D) | 1.2 | 915 | |
| George Foreman (Independent) | 1.1 | 827 | ||
| Feldon Bonner II (D) | 0.7 | 553 | ||
 | Vince Duncan (Independent) | 0.5 | 407 | |
| Reyna Anderson (Independent) | 0.3 | 263 | ||
| Tammie Rochester (G) | 0.2 | 135 | ||
| Total votes: 76,084 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Barry Dewayne Marchant (D)
- Zoe Cadore (D)
- Jarvis Johnson (D)
- Peter Filler (D)
- Lizette Prestwich (D)
- Chance Davis (Independent)
- Robert Slater (D)
- Derrell Turner (Independent)
- Khris Beal (Independent)
- James Joseph (D)
- Kivan Polimis (D)
- Corisha Rogers (D)
- Selena Samuel (D)
- Ebony Eatmon (D)
- T.J. Baker (D)
- Tejas Tuppera (Independent)
- Laverne Crump (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][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
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Knox in this election.
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ollie Knox did not complete Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from the Federal Elections Commission. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "JACKSON LEE, Sheila," accessed October 25, 2025
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Houston Chronicle, "Sylvester Turner, former Houston mayor, dies at 69," March 5, 2025
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Gov. Greg Abbott sets Nov. 4 special election to fill U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s seat," April 7, 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
- ↑ Jolanda Jones 2025 campaign website, "Home," accessed October 9, 2025
- ↑ Jolanda Jones 2025 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed October 10, 2025
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Carmen Maria Montiel," accessed October 8, 2025
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Carmen Montiel, "About," accessed October 9, 2025
- ↑ Carmen Montiel 2025 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed October 10, 2025
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "How Texas’ mid-decade redistricting could affect voters in one Houston community," August 19, 2025
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ 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
