It will be at least one more month before District 18 gets a Congressional representative. Voters will return to the polls for a runoff election after no candidate secured more than 50% of the vote in the Nov. 4 special election to fill Houston’s open Congressional District 18 seat, a seat that has been without representation in Washington for nearly a year. With 77 percent of the precincts reporting, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee garnered 29.35% of the vote, while former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards received 25.67%. State Representative Jolanda Jones came in third with 18.74%. Governor Greg Abbott will set a runoff election for January or February of 2026.
Menefee says he will fight until the end for this seat. “For months, as this seat sat vacant, I heard from voters who were ready for someone willing to take on Donald Trump and the far right—not just talk about change, but deliver real results. I’m proud that we’ve earned the trust and support of so many voters.”
“We are entering this runoff neck and neck with my opponent with the community behind us,” Edwards said. “By no means am I the establishment candidate in this race; I am the ‘People’s Candidate’ and my track record for delivering results for the people will help propel me forward in this runoff.”
The race to succeed the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who served nearly three decades in Congress, and former Houston Mayor and Congressman Sylvester Turner, drew a new generation of Democratic hopefuls, including 13 candidates in addition to Menefee, Edwards, and Jones.
With such a crowded field, a runoff election was expected and has now set up another round of voting to determine who will carry forward the legacy of leadership in this historically Black and politically influential district.
Turnout across Harris County
Election officials reported a steady stream of voters throughout the day. As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, more than 102,000 voters had already cast ballots, according to Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth. While final numbers haven’t been released, turnout was expected to reach nearly 200,000 voters by day’s end.
“The sheer size of Harris County is the combination of 25 states put together,” Hudspeth said.
Early voting turnout reached 8%, with more than 212,000 voters casting ballots between Oct. 20–31 — slightly lower than the 239,000 who voted early during the last state constitutional amendment election in November 2023.
Houston City Council At‑Large Position 4
The special election for Houston City Council At‑Large Position 4, which covers Houston citywide seats, also provides insight into local power. This position was on the ballot to fill incumbent Letitia Plummer’s seat, following her automatic resignation under Texas’ “resign-to-run” law when she launched a bid for Harris County Judge earlier this year.
Election numbers show Dwight A. Boykins, a former Houston City Council member, and Alejandra Salinas, an attorney, heading to a runoff election. While Boykins bagged about 23% of the votes, Salinas received 22%.
HISD trustee races
The city’s largest school district, Houston Independent School District, will see new elected trustees, amidst the Texas Education Agency’s state intervention, which keeps them from its day-to-day decision-making. Five of HISD’s nine trustee seats: Districts I, V, VI, VII and IX were on the Nov. 4, 2025, ballot.
Trustee District V: Maria Benzon won with 67% of the vote against Robbie McDonough’s 32%.
Trustee District VI: Michael McDonough won with 61% against Kendall Baker’s 39%.
Trustee District VII: Bridget Wade won with 53% against Audrey Nath’s 47%.
Houston City Council At-Large Position 4: Dwight A. Boykins (23%) and Alejandra Salinas (22%) are headed to a runoff election.
Statewide amendments
All 17 proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot passed with voter approval.
Texans were asked to vote “Yes” or “No” on the amendments, covering a wide range of issues: tax exemptions, property and business regulatory changes, parental rights, citizen‑voting requirements, water infrastructure funding, dementia research, judiciary oversight and border/security issues.
Because all amendments require a simple majority to pass, the results will reshape the Texas Constitution in major ways.
