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3 elections in 4 months and new US House map lead to confusion and voter fatigue in Texas district
Christian Menefee fills a vacancy left nearly a year after Rep. Turner’s death, facing a March 3 primary amid voter confusion caused by overlapping elections and redistricting.
- On Monday, Rep. Christian Menefee was sworn in after winning the runoff, with only four weeks before the March 3, 2026 primary.
- Because of late scheduling and new maps, election calendars collided after Sylvester Turner’s March 2025 death created a vacancy, which Abbott scheduled late, and GOP‑led redistricting at Trump’s direction overlapped with the 2026 midterms.
- Fewer early‑voting stations and a winter storm that closed churches forced Harris County elections officials to extend early voting by two days, causing confusion as mail‑in ballots for the March 3 primary overlapped with runoff voting.
- Voter fatigue has increased, leaving candidates to answer timing questions as District 18 residents went nearly a year without representation in Congress.
- The primary will be the first in Texas under the new U.S. House map, with early voting starting February 17, and may proceed to a May runoff if no candidate wins a majority.
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8 Articles
8 Articles
Christian Menefee sworn in after winning Texas’s Congressional District 18 special election
Texas’ 18th Congressional District officially has representation again after Christian Menefee was sworn in to Congress, ending a vacancy that lasted more than 330 days.
·Houston, United States
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Associated Press News+5 Reposted by 5 other sources
3 elections in 4 months and new US House map lead to confusion and voter fatigue in Texas district
Voters in Texas' 18th District have had little break in a series of elections as the result of the Republican-controlled state Legislature's redrawing of congressional districts last year.
·United States
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In the special election runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District held on Saturday, January 31, former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee overwhelmingly defeated former Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards to be elected as a U.S. Representative, ending the district’s nearly 332-day vacancy.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources8
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Left
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources lean Left
57% Left
L 57%
C 43%
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