At the Acres Homes Multi-service Center, residents of the 18th Congressional District met the candidates vying to succeed the late Congressman Sylvester Turner, who died in March.
Fiery speeches and policy descriptions were intercepted by personal testimonies as contenders race to represent the Black Democrat stronghold, represented by pillars of Houston politics: Barbara Jordan, Mickey Leland, Craig Washington and Sheila Jackson Lee.
The forum comprised candidates from myriad backgrounds, from former City Council members and attorneys to activists and chefs. Among the 19 candidates who filed for candidacy, six spoke at the panel: formerly incarcerated chef and restaurant owner Robert Slater, Organizing Director of the Harris County Democratic Party Corisha Rogers, former at-large City Council Member and attorney Amanda Edwards, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, former senior advisor to Representative Sheila Jackson Lee Isaiah Martin and former Texas State Representative and City Council Member Jarvis Johnson (expressed strong interest in filing).
After months of demanding a special election to fill the district’s vacancy, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott left the seat unfilled until the next uniform election in November. The district, which represents nearly 800,000 Texans, is still vacant.
The balance between carrying a legacy and charting a new path
All candidates agreed on their admiration for Jackson Lee’s advocacy for the people of the 18th Congressional District.
“She was unrelenting,” said Menefee. “She absolutely never took no for an answer and she worked every single hour of every single day. That’s exactly how I’ve been trying to conduct myself as county attorney.”
Edwards echoed the sentiment.
“She [Jackson Lee] was always going to put people over politics,” Edwards said. “Her deep love and concern for her residents was unmatched. That is something that we must carry forward.”
Meanwhile, Martin paid tribute to her influence in his political career while acknowledging a generational pivot.
“I don’t believe anybody can go and replicate what she did,” Martin said. “She was truly a fighter for our community and…we always gotta make sure that we go and respect that and the contributions that she did for our community.”
A range of lived experiences
Carmen Maria Montiel, a Republican Venezuelan-American immigrant and repeat candidate, said the district “is 48% Latino now” and refused to “lose another country” to socialism. Montiel received mixed reactions from the audience.
Edwards leaned into her policymaking credentials, citing her term as an at-large City Councilmember and public finance lawyer.
“I’m not new to this community and so that’s what makes it personal to me because I know that people are counting on us not just to hold political offices and not just to get titles, but to actually do the work that is needed in this community,” Edward said, recalling her father’s battle with cancer and the need for health care reforms. “I know what it feels like to see disinvestment in this community.”
Meanwhile, Slater drew support for his candor about his incarceration and justice reform advocacy.
“I can assure you that with my incarceration, I’m probably still gonna be the most honest person up here,” Slater stated. “I evolved from that, not only becoming the first Black and certified executive chef for many corporations and breaking racial barriers, owning multiple restaurants, including the only Italian restaurant owned by a Black man in the state of Texas, an advocacy group and a foundation.”
The big issues: housing, education, crime and campaign dollars
Regarding policies, candidates largely agreed on the immediate needs of the constituents: affordable housing, education, support for small businesses, and campaign finances, but they differed on their execution plans at the White House.
Menefee touted his record of suing polluters and protecting neighborhoods, while Edwards proposed channeling federal dollars toward affordable housing plans.
“For middle-class families who are working hard, trying to raise a family and looking to own a home, we have to expand down payment assistance in this country,” Menefee said, stressing the need to channel funds into underserved communities. “We’ve seen exclusionary zoning practices throughout this country that have largely resulted in a supply issue in Black and brown communities…We need to remove the barriers to allow these folks to be able to buy these homes.”
Slater pushed for oversight of federal funds, criticized the misuse of Hurricane Harvey funds and promised to end the school voucher program, which recently became law, across the state.
Martin, on the other hand, proposed a $25,000 “side hustle fund” to help small businesses thrive.
“That’s how we can elevate our community to reset the next era. This is about winning the future,” he added.
Edwards also proposed community development financial institutions to help local business owners.
“It’s a lack of intentionality and a lack of vision and leadership as it relates to sharing in the opportunity [Black-owned businesses],” she said. “We’ve gotta use this platform as an opportunity to start moving dollars into spaces and places that need them.”
Several candidates condemned billionaire influence on campaigns and called for a limit on spending. Slater stated, “The truth is, if I could brag about raising $200,000 in a day and still asking you for money when the funds ain’t coming back to you, I think it’s very audacious.”
Trust and representation
Johnson has not filed for a candidacy yet, but defended the delayed decision.
“You don’t run for office,” Johnson said. “You allow your work to work for you. I’m still working in the community.”
Born and raised in Houston’s Third Ward, Corisha Rogers leaned into her nontraditional political background and asserted that her inexperience was her biggest strength. She also stressed the need to increase voter turnout, access to preventive health care options and pathways to home ownership.
“We need change and we need a fighter in the district who’s gonna go into DC and also make sure that they’re keeping their community focused at home,” Rogers said. “I also wanna bring more quarterly town halls because we need those community connections.”
What’s next
The forum did not reveal a clear winner but instead gave residents an insight into the candidates’ personalities and priorities ahead of the November elections for a currently open and consequential seat.
Whether from the courthouse or the community center, each claimed a deep commitment to serving the people of the emblematic district. It is yet to be decided whose voice will resonate the most with constituents and earn their trust in a post-Jackson Lee and Turner era.
