Tight Texas special election to fill vacant House seat continues vote count

Democrats Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards vie to represent Houston's 18th Congressional District

Feb. 1, 2026 at 5:15am

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Votes were still being counted late on Saturday in a Texas special election to fill a vacant U.S. House of Representatives seat. Democrats Christian Menefee, 37, a former Harris County attorney, and Amanda Edwards, 44, a former Houston city council member, are the top two vote-getters vying to represent Texas' 18th Congressional District, a solidly Democratic area encompassing much of the inner city of Houston and the surrounding region.

Why it matters

The winner will replace the late Representative Sylvester Turner, who served only two months in the House before his death in March. Democrats will insist upon a prompt swearing-in for the winner, tightening the Republican's narrow 218-213 House majority.

The details

The special election was held to fill the vacancy left by the late Representative Sylvester Turner. Menefee and Edwards were the top two vote-getters in a field of 16 candidates in last November's election, requiring Saturday's runoff. Republicans currently hold a 218-213 House majority, and the winner of this race will shrink that lead to 218-214.

  • Polls closed on Saturday at 11:15 p.m. CST (0224 GMT), but a winner had not been announced as of that time.
  • The late Representative Sylvester Turner served only two months in the House before his death in March 2025.

The players

Christian Menefee

A 37-year-old former Harris County attorney running as a Democrat.

Amanda Edwards

A 44-year-old former Houston city council member running as a Democrat.

Sylvester Turner

The late Democratic Representative who served only two months in the House before his death in March 2025.

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What they’re saying

“Votes were still being counted late on Saturday in a Texas special election to fill a vacant U.S. House of Representatives seat.”

— Richard Cowan, Reuters reporter (Reuters)

“Democrats will insist upon a prompt swearing-in for the winner of the Saturday's vote, tightening the Republican lead to 218-214.”

— Richard Cowan, Reuters reporter (Reuters)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This special election in Texas' 18th Congressional District is a close race between two Democrats vying to fill the vacancy left by the late Representative Sylvester Turner. The outcome will impact the narrow Republican majority in the House, with Democrats insisting on a prompt swearing-in of the winner.