Texas’ 18th Congressional District is at present with out illustration following the consecutive deaths of two former U.S. representatives in lower than a 12 months. Former U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, 70, died after a medical emergency on March 5, serving solely two months in workplace after succeeding longtime Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who died of pancreatic most cancers on July 19, 2024.
Now, a crop of declared and potential candidates to succeed the historic Texas seat is rising because the district awaits Gov. Greg Abbott to set a particular election.
“The 18th Congressional District is a legacy seat, not simply in Texas, however throughout the nation…particularly over the past 4 to 5 many years. We’ve had main civil rights icons and trailblazers maintain that seat,” Jamarr Brown, former govt director of the Texas Democratic Social gathering, informed theGrio. Along with Reps. Turner and Jackson Lee, Brown famous earlier seat holders like Barbara Jordan (the primary Black lady from the South elected to Congress), Mickey Leland, Craig Washington, and Jackson Lee’s daughter, Erica Lee Carter, who succeeded her mom after her dying within the seat for 2 months.
Texas-18, which covers the town of Houston, is without doubt one of the nation’s most numerous districts, composed of sizable Black, Hispanic, AAPI, and LGBTQ populations. On condition that, Brown says whoever takes over the seat should proceed to champion the civil rights of constituent teams and keep its custom of getting a “coronary heart of service.”
“You knew Sheila Jackson Lee’s mobile phone quantity, you knew Sylvester Turner’s mobile phone quantity in case you are from Houston and lived in that district,” mentioned Brown. “In the event you known as them and mentioned that your Social Safety examine was lacking or that you simply had been making an attempt to get entry to a passport…they knew who you wanted to name.”
The present govt director at Colour of Change PAC continued, “All of them had a coronary heart for being on the bottom with folks. They held meals drives and clothes drives, back-to-school festivals and cookouts and people kinds of issues.”
Because the Trump administration strikes to make huge cuts to federal funding, together with makes an attempt to dismantle businesses just like the Division of Training, Brown mentioned the residents of Texas-18 may also want a “fighter” in Washington, D.C., who will probably be “exhibiting up and combating daily to make sure that they they’ll mitigate hurt that’s being completed to folks.”
To date, a number of Black candidates have both introduced their marketing campaign to characterize the 18th Congressional District or indicated curiosity in exploring a run. Right here’s what you need to know concerning the working record of hopefuls.
Christian Menefee
Menefee resigned from his place as the highest prosecutor in Harris County, the biggest county in Houston, to pursue the 18th district seat. He was notably the primary particular person within the race to declare their candidacy. In a marketing campaign video saying his candidacy, Menefee touted his efforts because the Harris County lawyer to guard district residents.
“I spent my time in workplace standing as much as the bullies. I stood as much as scammers stealing folks’s houses and polluters poisoning our air and water. I stood as much as Greg Abbott when he got here for our voting rights, and I stood as much as Donald Trump as a result of we are able to’t let him take us again proper now,” mentioned Menefee, who was the primary Black American and youngest particular person elected as Harris County lawyer.
He continued, “Trump and his billionaire mates are making life more durable for all of us. They’re driving up the price of groceries, hire, and fuel. They need to slash Social Safety and depart working folks with nothing after a lifetime of onerous work. We’d like a authorities that truly works for all of us, not simply the rich and well-connected.”
He wrote on Instagram, “Our group deserves somebody who will shield Social Safety, champion entry to healthcare, and make life extra inexpensive. That’s what I’m on this race to do.”
Earlier than turning into county lawyer, Menefee practiced industrial litigation and chapter in federal court docket at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He additionally labored at Norton Rose Fulbright, the place he targeted on enterprise litigation in federal and state courts, international corruption, and different issues involving the Securities and Alternate Fee.
Amanda Edwards
Edwards is not any stranger to the poll for Texas’ 18th Congressional District. She has beforehand run for the seat, dropping to each Jackson Lee and Turner in earlier election cycles. Edwards, a former Houston Metropolis Councilwoman, informed Fox Houston she is working to be “the congresswoman for the group.” Just like Menefee, Edwards drew her ire at President Donald Trump.
“It’s actually necessary to me that on this time of angst and turmoil that we’re seeing with our rights being attacked, well being care and schooling being underneath siege by President Trump, that we ship somebody to Washington who will take a brand new strategy when it’s time to combat for our rights, and who can carry some revolutionary options to the desk,” mentioned Edwards. She wrote on X, “We’d like the subsequent era of latest leaders in Washington to fight Trump’s assaults on jobs, healthcare, and schooling. The stakes are far too necessary to remain on the sidelines proper now.”
As a former metropolis council member, Edwards is tailoring her candidacy as being a champion of the grassroots group in Houston. As a metropolis councilwoman, Edwards labored on points associated to small companies, enhancing infrastructure and catastrophe restoration.
“The problems we’re combating for are private to me,” Edwards mentioned in a marketing campaign video. “These points, mixed with the legacy of fierce advocates on this district gasoline the urgency of now. As we enter the subsequent leg of this journey…we should…forge a path ahead.”
Zoe Cadore
Cadore, a longtime lawyer and D.C. lobbyist, has not formally introduced a marketing campaign to characterize the 18th district; nonetheless, a supply with direct information of the matter tells theGrio she is more likely to soar within the race. The Houston native is a former staffer to Congresswoman Jackson Lee and has labored as a lobbyist and coverage advisor within the vitality and oil trade for a number of years.
In response to Politico, Cadore labored on Congressman Turner’s first transition group when he grew to become Houston mayor in 2016 and volunteered on each of his mayoral campaigns. The outlet famous that whereas within the vitality sector, Cadore has specialised in workforce improvement and rising range, fairness and inclusion within the trade.
Cadore, a graduate of the College of Houston Legislation Heart and Spelman Faculty, was topped Miss Houston in 2013. Her advocacy and philanthropic work have targeted on the humanities, job creation, and combating homelessness.
In a earlier interview with theGrio after Jackson Lee’s dying, Cadore shared how the longtime congresswoman provided her an internship when she encountered monetary hardship as a pupil at Spelman. The Texas lawmaker later served as a buddy and mentor to Cadore. “She launched me to a wholly new world in D.C., with the Congressional Black Caucus, and he or she has guided me ever since that second,” she informed theGrio.
Isaiah Martin
Martin beforehand ran for Texas’ 18th district seat in 2023 and jumped again into the race to succeed Turner. At 26, he’s the youngest candidate within the race, in line with Group Influence Newspaper.
In response to his marketing campaign web site, Martin emerged as a campus chief on the College of Houston when he based #ForTheStudents and led initiatives targeted on campus voting entry, meals insecurity, and sexual assault help. He additionally labored with Congresswoman Jackson Lee, whom he thought-about his “hero.”
Martin, like different candidates within the race, took goal at President Trump in his pitch to voters. “Donald Trump’s completed nothing for you; not for your loved ones, not in your paychecks and never in your future. It wasn’t so way back that he promised you $0 revenue tax, a $1 and one thing for fuel and $2 eggs,” mentioned Martin in his marketing campaign video. “Since he’s been in workplace, you’ve acquired none of that. Costs are up and jobs are down.”
Seemingly calling out his personal social gathering, Martin mentioned, “I imagine in a Democratic Social gathering that has a backbone, a celebration that stands for one thing, a celebration that fights again.” He mentioned sending him to Washington to characterize the 18th district would “ship Donald Trump a message.” The younger candidate added, “In the event you’re prepared for one thing totally different, you will need to select one thing totally different.”
James Joseph
Joseph introduced his candidacy final week in a press launch, saying that the 18th district wants a “chief who will combat for working households, financial justice, healthcare entry, and academic alternatives for all.” In response to his LinkedIn, Joseph is a group advocate who at present works as director of Civic Engagement and Group Outreach on the Texas Senate District 13.
“This group formed who I’m, and I’m dedicated to making sure that each resident has a voice in Washington D.C.,” he mentioned. Joseph’s marketing campaign says that he’ll give attention to “financial alternatives, enhancing public schooling, strengthening healthcare entry, and addressing systemic injustices that hinder progress.”
