In a race that pitted two incumbents in opposition to one another, Democratic Reps. Al Inexperienced and Christian Menefee are locked in a decent main race within the newly redrawn 18th Congressional District.
Menefee was elected to symbolize the 18th Congressional District in a January particular election to interchange Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died final 12 months. Menefee, a former Harris County Legal professional, didn’t safe sufficient votes to stave off a runoff within the Nov. 4 particular election, sending him to the January runoff — that means he has been on the poll thrice previously 4 months.
The district had been redrawn throughout final summer time’s redistricting push, encompassing most of what had been Inexperienced’s district, main Inexperienced to run within the 18th District.
Inexperienced has been in Congress since 2005. Throughout President Trump’s phrases within the White Home, Inexperienced has been a vocal antagonist in opposition to him.
Throughout Mr. Trump’s speech earlier than the joint session of Congress in 2025, Inexperienced was escorted from the Home chamber after interrupting the speech, and the Home later voted to censure him. And through Mr. Trump’s State of the Union final week, Inexperienced was ejected once more after holding an indication that stated “Black Folks Aren’t Apes,” referencing a video Mr. Trump posted on Reality Social with racist footage of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.
Inexperienced was additionally among the many federal lawmakers who pushed to take away Mr. Trump from workplace throughout his final time period, introducing the primary articles of impeachment in opposition to him in 2017 and threatening to do it once more in 2025 when the president advised a U.S. takeover of Gaza.
Looming massive over the race is age: Inexperienced is 79 whereas Menefee is 37. Inexperienced has argued his age and seniority are advantages, on condition that he has risen among the many ranks of Democrats in Congress. However earlier than Menefee was elected, the seat was held by Turner, who died in workplace on the age of 70 solely months after being sworn in. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott did not schedule a race to fill the seat till November 2025, leaving Democrats with one fewer seat in Congress for months.
The Houston-area district is closely Democratic, that means the winner of the first is more likely to win the seat in November.
