Texas' 18th Congressional District special election, 2025
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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, which will be held on January 31, 2026. 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.
As of November 17, 2025, eight special elections have been called for the 119th Congress. From the 113th Congress to the 118th Congress, 80 special elections were held. For more data on historical congressional special elections, click here.
Candidates and election results
General runoff election
Special general runoff election for U.S. House Texas District 18
Amanda Edwards and Christian Menefee are running in the special general runoff election for U.S. House Texas District 18 on January 31, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Amanda Edwards (D) | |
 | Christian Menefee (D)  | |
| ||||
| = 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 | 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. | ||||
| 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)
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Texas
Candidate comparison
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Houston City Council (2016-2020)
Biography: Edwards earned a bachelor's degree from Emory University in 2004 and a law degree from Harvard Law School in 2007. Her career experience included working as an attorney, as the president and CEO of The Community Based Solutions Firm, and as the founder and board president of the Be The Solution: Community Empowerment Organization.
Show sources
Sources: Amanda Edwards 2025 campaign website, "On The Issues," accessed October 10, 2025; YouTube, "LIVE: Texas 18th Congressional District Debate | Afrovibes TV & Radio Exclusive," September 21, 2025; LinkedIn, "Amanda Edwards," accessed October 10, 2025; Amanda Edwards Personal Website, "Biography," accessed October 10, 2025
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 18 in 2025.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
I’m a husband, father of four children, small business owner, and proud Rice University graduate. My wife Stephanie and I both went to Rice and are now raising our family right here in the 18th Congressional District of Texas. As a working parent and entrepreneur, I understand the real challenges families face, and I’m committed to fighting for policies that actually work for us, not just for the well-connected.
I spent the early years of my childhood in Texas before my family moved to West Africa, where my parents served as missionaries in Nigeria and Ghana for over 20 years. That experience gave me a deep appreciation for community and service. When I returned to the United States, I studied computer science at Rice and went on to spend 20+ years creating cutting-edge technology that improves lives, from the nation’s largest bank and energy companies to innovative healthcare startups.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked with people from every walk of life. Whether building software or leading teams, I’ve always focused on collaboration, problem-solving, and delivering results. That’s exactly the mindset I’ll bring to Washington.
I’m not a career politician. I’m a working American who’s tired of a system that leaves too many families behind. I’m running for Congress to bring a fresh perspective and deliver real change for the 18th District. Together, we can build something better, and I’d be humbled to earn your support."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 18 in 2025.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Houston City Council (2008-2012)
- Houston Independent School District (2016-2020)
- Texas House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2022)
Biography: Jones earned a bachelor's degree in political science and government and a law degree from the University of Houston in 1989 and 1995, respectively. Her career experience included owning and working as a lawyer with the Law Office of Jolanda Jones.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 18 in 2025.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I’m Christian Menefee, the son of two veterans, a product of the Houston community, and the first in my family to graduate from college. I grew up on free lunch, went to college with a Pell Grant, and became the youngest and first African American elected as the County Attorney for Harris County, Texas. My wife and I are now raising our two boys in the same communities in the 18th Congressional District where we grew up. I’ve spent my career fighting for people—suing Donald Trump, Texas Republican leaders, and bad actors that hurt working families. It hasn’t been just talk. I work to get results. That’s the approach I’ll bring to Congress: a fighter who delivers for our communities."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 18 in 2025.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am a legal immigrant, business woman, survivor of domestic violence and mother of three."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 18 in 2025.
Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!
Party: Green Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am a licensed social worker. I have worked in social work in the state of Texas for over 20 years. I have my Master’s degree and I have worked in various state departments from Department of Human Services, Protective Services, and Aging and Disability Services. I have years of experience in director community service and social policies."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Texas District 18 in 2025.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
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.
| Collapse all
Stephen Huey (D)
Cost of Living: Grocery bills are up, housing is harder to afford, and too many are being forced to make impossible choices. Cuts to food assistance, healthcare, and other essential services are hitting working families the hardest. Every child in America should have enough to eat and a safe place to call home. That means building more affordable housing near where people work, supporting local agriculture and food access, and strengthening, not slashing, the programs that help families get by. We need thoughtful, family-first plans that lift people up, not more political games that leave communities behind.
Healthcare: Healthcare is a basic human need, but Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to Medicaid would strip healthcare from thousands of families, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. I strongly oppose these reckless cuts, because I’ve seen how short-sighted policies like this lead to more suffering and higher costs down the road. Instead of taking healthcare away, we should expand access, especially to primary care, so people can get the treatment they need before minor issues become major health crises. After a lifetime of hard work, our seniors deserve dignity and the care they’ve earned, not disrespect and neglect. I’ll fight to protect the programs that keep our communities healthy.
The right to vote is the foundation for every other freedom—and MAGA Republicans are trying to take it away. In Texas, I sued to stop them from canceling ballots and won. I also sued Donald Trump to stop massive federal layoffs that would have weakened Social Security and other services families rely on. In Congress, I’ll keep fighting back—defending voting rights, standing up to power, and protecting the programs that working people count on.
Lowering Costs and Reinvesting in Our Neighborhoods
Life costs too much, and families in TX-18 feel it every day. Housing, childcare, and healthcare are out of reach for too many—and entire neighborhoods are still waiting on basics like grocery stores and decent infrastructure. In Congress, I’ll fight to lower everyday costs and bring investment to every part of our district. That means funding neighborhood clinics and early childhood education, creating workforce training programs, and helping more people get good-paying jobs—whether or not they go to college. That also means protecting Medicaid, food assistance, and other essential benefits that are critical to working families throughout our community.
Fighting for Reproductive Healthcare
Carmen Montiel (R)
Economic growth
Education
Tammie Rochester (G)
We need a system that works for all people. Economic disparities continue to rise and exist in many neighborhoods in the 18th district.
Women should have more choices and better preventive care that is affordable.
Stephen Huey (D)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Mental Health Healthcare Infrastructure Education
Housing
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Stephen Huey (D)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Stephen Huey (D)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Not long after, I landed a job bagging groceries and pushing carts at a local store. I often worked the late shift on weekends—4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.—even during high school. I stayed with that job for nearly five years, moving up to cashier, then business center attendant, and eventually a college intern in their management program. After graduating college and getting into law school, I went back for one last summer—still checking and bagging groceries and saving up before leaving.
Those jobs grounded me. They taught me the value of hard work, showing up, and staying focused. But more than that, they exposed me to the everyday struggles people face—families trying to make ends meet, neighbors helping each other get by. That perspective has stuck with me and shapes how I lead today: with humility, empathy, and a relentless focus on helping working families get ahead.
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Stephen Huey (D)
Carmen Montiel (R)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Tammie Rochester (G)
Campaign ads
Amanda Edwards
View more ads here:
Jolanda Jones
View more ads here:
Christian Menefee
View more ads here:
Carmen Montiel
Ballotpedia did not come across any campaign ads for Carmen Montiel while conducting research on this election. If you are aware of any ads that should be included, please email us.
Election competitiveness
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.
Endorsements
Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.
Election spending
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." |
|||||
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 |
|---|---|
District analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.
- District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
- Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2024 U.S. House elections in the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
- State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.
This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Texas.
| Texas U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2024 | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Districts/ offices |
Seats | Open seats | Candidates | Possible primaries | Contested Democratic primaries | Contested Republican primaries | % of contested primaries | Incumbents in contested primaries | % of incumbents in contested primaries | ||||
| 2024 | 38 | 38 | 3 | 160 | 76 | 16 | 23 | 51.3% | 19 | 54.3% | ||||
| 2022 | 38 | 38 | 6 | 222 | 76 | 17 | 27 | 57.9% | 19 | 59.4% | ||||
| 2020 | 36 | 36 | 6 | 231 | 72 | 24 | 26 | 69.4% | 18 | 60.0% | ||||
| 2018 | 36 | 36 | 8 | 212 | 72 | 25 | 21 | 63.9% | 15 | 53.6% | ||||
| 2016 | 36 | 36 | 2 | 127 | 72 | 13 | 20 | 45.8% | 19 | 55.9% | ||||
| 2014 | 36 | 36 | 1 | 100 | 72 | 6 | 13 | 26.4% | 12 | 34.3% | ||||
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Texas in 2024. Information below was calculated on 1/29/2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
In 2024, 164 candidates filed to run for Texas’ 38 U.S. House districts, including 63 Democrats and 101 Republicans. That was 4.3 candidates per district, the lowest number since 2016, when 3.5 candidates ran.
In 2022, the first election after the number of congressional districts in Texas increased from 36 to 38, 5.8 candidates ran per district. In 2020, 6.4 candidates ran, and 5.8 candidates ran in 2018.
The 164 candidates who ran in 2024 were also the fewest total number to run since 2016, when 127 candidates ran. One hundred candidates ran for Texas’ then-36 districts in 2014, the fewest in the decade, while 231 ran in 2020, the decade-high.
Three seats were open. That was the fewest since 2016, when two seats were open. Six seats were open in 2022 and 2020, and eight were in 2018—the decade-high.
Reps. Kay Granger (R-12th) and Michael Burgess (R-26th) retired from public office. Rep. Colin Allred (D-32nd) didn't seek re-election in order to run for the U.S. Senate. Fourteen candidates—10 Democrats and 4 Republicans—ran for the open 32nd district, the most candidates who ran for a seat in 2024.
Thirty-nine primaries—16 Democratic and 23 Republican—were contested this year. That was the fewest since 2016, when 33 were contested. There were 44 contested primaries in 2022, 50 in 2020, and 46 in 2018.
Nineteen incumbents—six Democrats and thirteen Republicans—faced primary challengers this year. That was the same number as 2022, and one more than in 2020.
Three districts—the 9th, the 20th, and the 30th—were guaranteed to Democrats because no Republicans filed to run. Five were guaranteed to Republicans because no Democrats filed to run—the 1st, the 11th, the 13th, the 19th, and the 25th.
Partisan Voter Index
Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+23. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 23 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Texas' 18th the 47th most Democratic district nationally.[18]
2020 presidential election results
The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.
| 2020 presidential results in Texas' 18th based on 2024 district lines | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Biden
|
Donald Trump
| |||
| 73.6% | 25.1% | |||
Inside Elections Baselines
- See also: Inside Elections
Inside Elections' Baseline is a figure that analyzes all federal and statewide election results from the district over the past four election cycles. The results are combined in an index estimating the strength of a typical Democratic or Republican candidate in the congressional district.[19] The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.
| Inside Elections Baseline for 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Baseline
|
Republican Baseline
|
Difference | ||
| 68.2 | 29.8 | R+38.4 | ||
Presidential voting history
- See also: Presidential election in Texas, 2020
Texas presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 16 Democratic wins
- 15 Republican wins
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | D | D | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
- See also: Party control of Texas state government
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Texas' congressional delegation as of May 2024.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Texas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Republican | 2 | 25 | 27 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 38 | 40 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Texas' top four state executive offices as of May 2024.
| State executive officials in Texas, May 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Office | Officeholder |
| Governor | Greg Abbott
|
| Lieutenant Governor | Dan Patrick
|
| Secretary of State | Jane Nelson
|
| Attorney General | Ken Paxton
|
State legislature
Texas State Senate
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 31 | |
Texas House of Representatives
| Party | As of February 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 64 | |
| Republican Party | 86 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 150 | |
Trifecta control
The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.
Texas Party Control: 1992-2024
Three years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Election context
District history
2024
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. | ||||
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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. | ||||
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2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 18
Incumbent Sheila Jackson Lee defeated Carmen Montiel, Vince Duncan, and Phil Kurtz in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 18 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sheila Jackson Lee (D) | 70.7 | 110,511 |
| Carmen Montiel (R) | 26.2 | 40,941 | |
| Vince Duncan (Independent) | 1.8 | 2,766 | |
 | Phil Kurtz (L) | 1.3 | 2,050 | |
| Total votes: 156,268 | |||
| = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 18
Incumbent Sheila Jackson Lee advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sheila Jackson Lee | 100.0 | 35,194 |
| Total votes: 35,194 | |||
| = 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
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 18
Carmen Montiel advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Carmen Montiel | 100.0 | 11,087 |
| Total votes: 11,087 | |||
| = 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
- Scott Huckabee (R)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 18
Phil Kurtz advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 12, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Phil Kurtz (L) | 90.7 | 39 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 9.3 | 4 | ||
| Total votes: 43 | |||
| = 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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2020
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 18
Incumbent Sheila Jackson Lee defeated Wendell Champion, Luke Spencer, and Vince Duncan in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 18 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sheila Jackson Lee (D) | 73.3 | 180,952 |
 | Wendell Champion (R) | 23.5 | 58,033 | |
 | Luke Spencer (L) | 1.8 | 4,514 | |
| Vince Duncan (Independent) | 1.4 | 3,396 | |
| Total votes: 246,895 | |||
| = 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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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!
Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 18
Wendell Champion defeated Robert Cadena in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 18 on July 14, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wendell Champion | 71.8 | 4,000 |
 | Robert Cadena | 28.2 | 1,570 | |
| Total votes: 5,570 | |||
| = 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. House Texas District 18
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sheila Jackson Lee | 77.1 | 49,729 |
 | Marc Flores | 8.3 | 5,353 | |
 | Bimal Patel | 3.8 | 2,456 | |
 | Jerry Ford Sr. | 3.7 | 2,417 | |
 | Stevens Orozco | 3.4 | 2,180 | |
 | Michael Allen | 2.6 | 1,672 | |
 | Donovan Boson | 1.1 | 709 | |
| Total votes: 64,516 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 18
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Wendell Champion | 35.1 | 3,428 |
| ✔ | | Robert Cadena | 20.5 | 2,005 |
 | T.C. Manning | 18.7 | 1,823 | |
 | Nathan Milliron | 11.0 | 1,076 | |
 | Ava Pate | 8.1 | 794 | |
| Nellie Heiskell | 6.5 | 638 | ||
| Total votes: 9,764 | |||
| = 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
- Whitney Hatter (R)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 18
Luke Spencer advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 18 on March 21, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Luke Spencer (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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2025 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This was a battleground election. Other 2025 battleground elections included:
- Mayoral election in Helena, Montana (2025)
- Mentor Exempted Village School District, Ohio, elections (2025)
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 35 special election, 2025
See also
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
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed January 10, 2024
- ↑ Inside Elections, "Methodology: Inside Elections’ Baseline by Congressional District," December 8, 2023
