Overview
- Early Harris County totals show Christian Menefee at 32.44%, Amanda Edwards at 25.15% and Jolanda Jones at 18.9%.
- State law requires 50% plus one vote to win outright, making a runoff likely in the 16-candidate field.
- A runoff date has not been announced by Gov. Greg Abbott and would likely fall in late January or February to meet federal ballot deadlines.
- The seat has lacked representation for much of the past 16 months after Sheila Jackson Lee and then Sylvester Turner died, with Abbott setting the special election for November over Democratic objections.
- Redistricting litigation looms as Abbott ordered a new map after pressure from President Donald Trump, the Justice Department alleged an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, and a federal court in El Paso will decide which map governs 2026 while the winner serves through January 2027.