A number of new candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for U.S. Congress District 18, which covers Downtown Houston as well as large swaths of the North Houston area.
District 18 was formerly occupied by Sheila Jackson Lee, who died July 19 from pancreatic cancer. Hundreds of mourners gathered in Houston on Aug. 1 for a celebration of life for Jackson Lee, and many candidates paid homage to her in their announcements to run.
The takeaway
Candidates who announced their bids Aug. 1-2 included:
- Sylvester Turner, former Houston mayor and former state representative
- Amanda Edwards, an attorney and nonprofit leader who lost to Jackson Lee in the Democratic primary for District 18 in March
- Letitia Plummer, at-large Houston City Council member
- Businessperson Robert Slater, who also ran against Jackson Lee in the Democratic primary before suspending his campaign and endorsing her
The details
The Democratic candidates running for the seat will not participate in an election and instead are vying to be chosen to replace Jackson Lee by the Harris County Democratic Party executive committee.
In a note posted to the Harris County Democratic Party website, officials said the new nominee will be selected by the precinct chairs in District 18 at an Aug. 13 meeting at 6 p.m. at the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, 3826 Wheeler Ave., Houston.
Information on all the candidates vying for the seat will be published to the party's website "in the next few days," according to the note.
Whoever is selected as the Democratic nominee will face Republican Lana Centonze for the seat in the Nov. 5 general election.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also called a special election for Nov. 5 to determine who would serve the remainder of Jackson Lee's unexpired term, which runs through Jan. 3, 2025. Abbott said all interested candidates must file applications with the Texas Secretary of State no later than 6 p.m. Aug. 22.
What they're saying
Plummer announced her candidacy the evening of Aug. 1. She was first elected to Houston City Council in 2019 and most recently won re-election in 2023.
In a statement released Aug. 2, Plummer emphasized her accomplishments as a council member, including work she has done to address cancer clusters in the Fifth Ward and to champion criminal justice reform. She also referred back to the "bold and unapologetic advocacy" of those who formerly served in the district, including Jackson Lee, Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland.
If elected, Plummer said her platform would focus on safeguarding women's reproductive rights, affordable health care, environmental advocacy that addresses climate change and tackling high inflation.
Edwards, a former at-large Houston City Council member herself, announced her bid early Aug. 2. She pointed to her own experience leading initiatives on council, including to reduce disparities faced by women and minority business owners, to create Houston's Innovation District and promote more multimodal infrastructure.
In a Q&A with Community Impact before the Democratic primary, Edwards said her priorities included expanding access to quality, affordable health care; expanding economic opportunity for small-business owners and job-seekers; lowering the costs of higher education; protecting voting rights; and ending gerrymandering.
Turner, who announced Aug. 2, said be believed District 18 needed stability and continuity in leadership.
“We must keep federal resources flowing into the district to address challenges such as the cancer cluster in Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens, and continued funding for local organizations for health care, flood mitigation and education," Turner said. “Our next representative must also meet the high bar of compassion, caring and humanity that was the hallmark of Sheila’s leadership and public service."
In an Aug. 2 announcement, Slater said he is running to bring a "fresh perspective to the race" and to give voters a chance for "authentic change." He said his campaign would focus on entrepreneur expansion, women's protective rights, veteran empowerment, advocating for the Civilian Second Chance Act and community health care solutions.
"The people deserve a new voice, a new vision and fresh ideas,” Slater said in a statement. “The expected coronation of another politician with false promises and no serious plan to deliver has hurt Houston long enough."
