Democratic candidates Christian D. Menefee and Al Green will face each other once again in the May runoff election for Congressional District 18 after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the March 3 primaries.
The overview
In a four-way primary race, Green secured roughly 47% of the vote, while Menefee garnered about 41% of the vote. The winner of the May 26 runoff will face the Republican nominee—Ronald Dwayne Whitfield—in November.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are elected for a two-year term with no term limits. Following congressional redistricting, which will take effect in January 2027, District 18 will cover portions of southwest, central and northeast Houston.
Something to note
The March primary and subsequent May runoff is separate from the November special election and subsequent January runoff that was held to fill the vacant congressional seat following the death of incumbent Sylvester Turner in early 2025. The winner of that special election—Menefee—will serve Congressional District 18 for the remainder of Turner's unexpired term, which ends in January 2027 before new members of Congress are sworn in.
Preparing for the polls
Texans can vote early in the runoff election from May 18-22. Runoff elections, like primaries, are separated by political party, meaning Texans who voted in one party's primary this March may only vote in the same party's runoff. Individuals who did not participate in the March primaries or a third-party nominating convention can vote in either party's runoff this May.
Runoff election day is May 26. For more information about voting in Harris County, visit www.harrisvotes.com. For more election coverage, visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide.
What you need to know
The original version of this election questionnaire was published Jan. 14, ahead of the March 3 primary election. Community Impact is republishing Q&As for runoff elections, with the goal of providing a side-by-side, equitable resource for voters to review candidates' perspectives as they prepare to head to the polls this month.
This Q&A was updated to remove Gretchen Brown and Amanda Edwards—two Democratic candidates who did advance to the May 26 runoff. Candidates' answers were not changed from the originally published article.
Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answer may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
*Indicates incumbent
Hannah Norton contributed to this report.
