Democrat Christian Menefee, a former lawyer for Houston’s Harris County, has received a particular congressional election in a left-leaning congressional district in Texas, which has been vacant for practically a yr.
The Associated Press studies that Menefee defeated former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards, a fellow Democrat, in Saturday’s runoff election to fill the seat left vacant when Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner died final March.
Menefee’s victory means the Republicans’ razor-thin House majority — they at the moment management the chamber 218-213 — will shrink by one seat when Menefee is sworn in to Congress.
Sylvester, a former longtime state lawmaker, served two phrases as Houston mayor earlier than profitable election to Congress in 2024, to fill the seat of the late longtime Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.
While Texas has redrawn its congressional maps for the 2026 midterms, as a part of the high-stakes redistricting battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats, the particular election used the state’s present district strains.
The addition of one other lawmaker into the House Democrats’ ranks will give Republican management within the chamber further complications.
“They’d better be here,” House Speaker Mike Johnson not too long ago mentioned of his members. “I told everybody, and not in jest, I said, no adventure sports, no risk-taking, take your vitamins. Stay healthy and be here.”
Christian Menefee arrives at his watch celebration along with his spouse Kaitlyn on Election Day in Houston, Texas, on Jan. 31, 2026. AP
And House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s workplace confirmed it’s advising members that “outside of life-and-death circumstances,” they count on Republican lawmakers to be on Capitol Hill.
Three different particular congressional elections are on faucet this yr.
Eleven candidates are working within the Feb. 5 Democratic Party main in New Jersey’s eleventh Congressional District.
The seat was left vacant after now-New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after profitable November’s gubernatorial election within the Garden State.
The winner of the Democratic main will face off with Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the one Republican to file for the particular election, which shall be held on April 16.
Menefee’s victory means the Republicans’ razor-thin House majority — they at the moment management the chamber 218-213 — will shrink by one seat when Menefee is sworn in to Congress. AP
The suburban district in northern New Jersey leans to the left, with Sherrill profitable re-election in 2024 by 15 factors, the identical margin she carried the district in November’s gubernatorial showdown.
But then-Vice President Kamala Harris received the district by simply eight factors within the 2024 presidential election, giving the GOP some hopes of presumably flipping the seat.
A whopping 22 candidates, together with 17 Republicans, are working in a particular election in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, within the race to succeed former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
The MAGA firebrand and one-time high Trump House ally 4 weeks in the past stepped down from Congress a yr earlier than her time period ended.
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According to Georgia state legislation, all of the candidates will run on the identical ballot. If no contender tops 50% of the vote, a runoff election between the highest two finishers will happen on April 7.
The district in northwestern Georgia is solidly Republican, with Greene profitable re-election in 2024 by practically 30 factors and Trump carrying the district by 37 factors.
Primary Day in California for the 2026 elections is scheduled for June 2, and this yr it is going to additionally embrace a main for the particular election within the state’s 1st Congressional District, within the race to fill a seat left vacant following the current sudden demise of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa. The normal election shall be held on Aug. 4.
The district, in northeastern California, is solidly Republican.
Saturday’s runoff election to fill the seat left vacant when Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner died final March. Houston Chronicle through Getty Images
Similar to Texas, California can be altering its congressional maps as a part of the redistricting wars, however the particular election shall be held beneath the present district strains.
The White House and congressional Republicans criticized the choice by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to not maintain a particular election to fill LaMalfa’s seat till August, six months after the late congressman’s demise.
But Democrats equally complained about Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas not scheduling the particular election to fill Turner’s seat till eight months after the late lawmaker died.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this story.
