Houston area residents turned out to vote on Super Tuesday, casting their ballots in the Democratic and Republican primaries to help the political parties select their nominees for the general election in November. On the ballots are races for U.S. president and Congressional seats, the Texas House and Texas Senate, Harris County competitions for district attorney, sheriff and several judgeships.
Sheila Jackson Lee v. Amanda Edwards
Sheila Jackson Lee, coming off a runoff defeat against John Whitmire in the race for Houston mayor, held off challenger, former Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards in the Democratic primary for Texas’ 18th Congressional District race. Edwards had dropped out of the mayor’s race and decided to seek Jackson’ Lee’s seat when the longtime congresswoman announced her mayoral candidacy. Jackson Lee has faced challengers only a handful of times in her nearly three-decade House career and defeated each definitively. She received 59.94% of the vote to Edwards’s 37.38%. Jackson Lee has never been seriously challenged in a general election since she first took office in 1995.
Kim Ogg loses to Sean Teare
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, a two-term incumbent, was unseated in the Democratic primary election by challenger Sean Teare. Teare, who spent six years working under Ogg as a prosecutor, received 75% of the vote, compared to 25% for Ogg. Teare will face Dan Simons in November’s general election.
Colin Alred to take on Ted Cruz
Colin Allred to take on Ted Cruz
Former NFL player Colin Allred was the clear favorite among Harris County early voters in the Democratic primary for the senate seat currently held by Ted Cruz, receiving 69.3% percent in a nine-candidate race. Allred will now take a shot at dethroning Cruz from what some believe could be a vulnerable Republican seat.
Black judges
The Defender broke the story of three Black women in an all-out fight for district judicial seats, each who claimed their competitiors were using “underhanded tactics” to have them removed from the ballot. The three women all emerged victorious. Amber Boyd Cora defeated Peter Kelly, 59.71% to 40.29%. Erica Hughes defeated Mike Engelhart 60.91% to 30.09%. And Takasha Francis beat Robert K. Schaffer 55.50% to 44.50%.
Other races
Incumbent County Attorney Christian Menefee received 69.9% of the vote in his race against Umeka Lewis, while Sheriff Ed Gonzalez garnered 70.3% despite having three challengers. Gonzalez will face Mike Knox, a fellow former member of the Houston City Council, in November.
The six-candidate race to succeed Whitmire in Texas Senate District 15 appeared headed to a runoff based on early voting results. State Rep. Jarvis Johnson of Texas House District 139 received 36.13% of the vote, while community organizer and emergency room nurse Molly Cook — who lost to Whitmire in the Democratic primary in 2022 — got 20.65%.
The race to replace Johnson in the Texas House also seemed destined for a runoff after early voting, with Angie Thibodeaux garnering 31.4% of the vote in a five-candidate race. Johnson’s ex-wife, Charlene Ward Johnson, was second with 26.3% of the early vote.
State Rep. Shawn Thierry of House District 146, will go into the runoff with Lauren Ashley Simmons, after failing to secure 50% of the vote. Thierry’s 44.41% was just below Simmons’ 49.50%. Thierry drew criticism from fellow Democrats for breaking party lines and voting in support of three anti-LGBTQ bills last year.
State Rep. Harold Dutton faced three challengers in the Democratic primary for Texas House District 142 but won with 60.51% of the vote.
In the Tax Assessor race, Annette Ramirez (40.6%) and Desiree Broadnax (17.5%) will go to a runoff, after either failed to secure 50% in the crowded field that saw the defeat of Danielle Bess, Jerry Davis and Claude Cummings III.
In the Republican primary, former President Donald Trump had the support of 76.5% of early voters in Harris County, compared to 18.6% for Nikki Haley. Trump is vying for a general election rematch against President Joe Biden, the Democrat who beat him in 2020 and received nearly 91% of the early vote in Harris County this year.
