CD18 voters head to the polls for fourth time in eight months

The district remains heavily Democratic, so the winner of Tuesday’s Democratic runoff election is expected to win the seat in the November general election.

The vacancy quickly became a flashpoint in Texas politics, as Gov. Greg Abbott delayed scheduling a special election until November 2025, leaving residents of the district without congressional representation for roughly eight months at a time when Congress was narrowly divided.

While the seat sat vacant, Texas Republican lawmakers approved a redistricting plan that dramatically reshaped Houston-area congressional boundaries. The new map absorbed much of Green’s longtime 9th Congressional District into the reconfigured 18th District, setting up an unusual race between two incumbent Democrats. 

The winner on Tuesday will advance to November for the chance to serve the district for a full two-year term beginning in January 2027. 

Throughout the campaign, both candidates repeatedly emphasized that the matchup was fabricated by Texas Republicans and President Donald Trump.

“I didn’t ask for these new maps, Congressman Green didn’t ask for this, and the voters of this district certainly didn’t ask for this,” Menefee recently told the Houston Chronicle. “But we are not going to let Donald Trump and (Gov.) Greg Abbott use this gerrymandering scheme as a distraction from the real issues.” 

Green has delivered a similar message throughout the campaign trail.

“I didn’t move to the 18th,” Green said. “The 18th moved to me.” 

But with two other candidates on the March ballot, including former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards, neither Menefee nor Green secured the majority needed to avoid a runoff. 

Polling locations across the district open at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m.