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Voters in Texas's 18th Congressional District, which has not had a seat in Congress since March, now face back-to-back elections within just weeks of each other next year.
Voters this month were finally able to cast ballots in a special election to decide who will finish out the term of Rep. Sylvester Turner, a Democrat who died eight months ago. But neither candidate won a majority, so the top two candidates — acting Harris County District Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards, both Democrats — now face a runoff.
Under state law deadlines, Gov. Greg Abbott could schedule a runoff no later than the end of January. His office told Votebeat only that he would announce a timeline “at a later date.”
But a new race for the seat will begin on Feb. 17, 2026, when early voting begins for the March primary and congressional candidates will once again be on the ballot.
Moreover, because the state recently redrawn its congressional district maps, a rarity mid-cycle, many runoff voters will likely find themselves in a different district in the primary, with a different set of candidates.
The timing could be a deterrent to voters, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston.
“Turnout in the runoff is already quite low, but the fact that it's a temporary election means you can have very low voter interest,” he said.
Before Abbott can announce a runoff date, he must hold a constitutional amendment election on Nov. 4, which he could do on Nov. 19. The second round should take place 70 to 77 days after the vote, Rottinghaus said.
Thus, the date for the second round will be set at the end of January. Because those deadlines are written into state law, Abbott won't be able to delay them, as he was allowed to do in the special election, Rottinghaus said. This period of time between the election and the runoff is mandated by federal law, which gives election officials time to count military and overseas ballots.
Natalia Contreras is a reporter for Votebeat in partnership with the Texas Tribune. She lives in Corpus Christi. Contact Natalia at [email protected].
This coverage was made possible thanks to Let him votea nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access issues. Register for Free Votebeat Texas newsletters here.
