Photo: Getty Images
Rep. Christian Menefee defeated Rep. Al Green in Tuesday's (May 26) Democratic primary runoff for Texas' 18th Congressional District, ending the tenure of one of the state's longest-serving congressmen and handing the seat to one of the youngest members of Congress.
Menefee captured nearly 70% of the nearly 49,000 votes cast.
The race itself was the result of a deliberate Republican power play. At the request of President Trump, the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature redrew congressional maps last year to create five additional seats favorable to Republicans.
The redraw pulled a large chunk of Green's voters out of his 9th Congressional District and merged them into the 18th, forcing two sitting Black Democratic congressmen into the same race and making Green's original seat a GOP-friendly district.
As Menefee put it bluntly: "This is a situation that Greg Abbott has put us in by drawing two Black leaders into the same district and forcing our communities to fight for scraps."
The 18th District carries deep roots in Black political power — past representatives include Barbara Jordan, Craig Washington, and Sheila Jackson Lee. The seat has been through extraordinary turbulence in recent years. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee died in office in July 2024.
Her successor, Rep. Sylvester Turner, died just weeks into his first term in March 2025. Tuesday's runoff was the district's fourth election in just seven months.
Age loomed large over the race. With back-to-back deaths of representatives both in their 70s, younger Democrats have pushed loudly for generational change. Green is 78. Menefee is 38. In 2020, Menefee became the youngest person and first Black Harris County attorney in history.
The 18th District remains solidly Democratic, making Menefee's path to a full term in November all but certain.
In his victory statement, he said: "Tonight belongs to the people of this district. You have shown up over and over, and every single time, you have chosen to fight for a better future for our communities."
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.