Abbott Orders Special Election for Congressional Seat 18

Texas Governor Greg Abbottyas scheduled a special election for the empty 18th Congressional District seat, setting the date for November 4, 2025, after U.S. Representative Sylvester Turner’s passing. The announcement came following insistent calls from Democratic figures, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, who pressed for a prompt election to ensure the Houston-area district regained its congressional voice. Jeffries stressed the urgency of acting quickly to represent the district’s nearly 800,000 residents, while Menefee, who is running for the seat, condemned Abbott’s seven-month postponement as a neglect of voters grappling with critical challenges like hurricane season readiness. Significantly, Menefee has defied Texas’s resign-to-run statute, which mandates that some officials resign when seeking another office, asserting that his position as county attorney does not hinder his campaign. Abbott justified the extended timeline by citing previous election oversight issues in Harris County, but detractors, including Menefee, charged that the governor was exploiting the delay to safeguard the Republican Party’s slim 220-213 edge in the House.