What we know
Turner died in early March after serving as Congressman for only four to five months. He replaced the late Sheila Jackson Lee in a special election in November after she died from pancreatic cancer in mid-2024. Similar to last year's timeline, Abbott waited a little over a month to call a special election for the vacant position and ultimately opted to hold an election during normal voter turnout.
"Forcing Harris County to rush this special election on weeks' notice would harm the interest of voters," Abbott said in a statement. "The appropriate time to hold this election is November, which will give Harris County sufficient time to prepare for such an important election."
Only a week after Turner's funeral in Houston and Austin, several candidates began to file applications for the vacant position, including former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, former At-Large Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and Isaiah Martin, former senior advisor to Jackson Lee.
Candidates have until Sept. 3 by 5 p.m. to file an application with the Secretary of State. Early voting starts Oct. 20.
