(NewsNation) — Voters in Texas’ 18th Congressional District are headed to the polls Tuesday for a special election to fill the U.S. House seat left vacant by Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, who died while in office in March.
With no primary to narrow the field, 16 candidates were on the ballot, representing Democrats, Republicans, independents and the Green Party.
Decision Desk HQ projects Acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee to advance to a runoff. One more spot remains to advance to the runoff.
Menefee, former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and state Rep. Jolanda Jones were leading polls in the weeks leading up to the election and were the only candidates with double-digit support, though none were close to the 50% support needed to win the seat.
If no candidate crosses that threshold, a runoff will be held between the top two vote-getters. The winner will serve a short term before the seat is up again in March 2026.
District 18 has long been a Democratic stronghold, with former Vice President Kamala Harris winning it by 40 points in 2024. But with new GOP redistricting plans underway, the boundaries of the district are shifting. The district, currently made up of a majority of voters of color, will see many residents moved into new districts ahead of the 2026 midterm election cycle.
Before Turner, Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee held the seat for nearly 30 years and died in office in July 2024. Her daughter, Erica Lee Carter, finished Jackson Lee’s term and endorsed Turner to fill the seat afterward. Turner died two months into his term, resulting in Tuesday’s special election to fill the seat.
Polls close at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday in Houston. Follow election results in the tracker below: