Catch up quick
District 18 was left vacant after the July 19 death of Sheila Jackson Lee, who served as the District 18 representative for 29 years. Jackson Lee became the Democratic candidate in the November general election after winning a primary election in March.
After Jackson Lee's death, the Harris County Democratic Party was tasked with naming a replacement to run as the Democratic candidate in the general election, in accordance with rules governing the U.S. House of Representatives.
The latest
A number of candidates threw their hats in the ring for consideration for the ballot position, including Turner; Letitia Plummer, at-large Houston City Council member; and Amanda Edwards, who ran against Jackson Lee in the primary.
At an Aug. 13 meeting, Democratic precinct chairs covering the District 18 area cast votes for which candidate they wanted on the ballot. After an initial round of voting, no candidate received the majority of the votes, prompting a second round of runoff voting where precinct chairs could only choose between the top two vote-getters from the first round, Turner and Edwards.
Turner won the runoff election with 41 votes, while Edwards got 37.
What they're saying
In a statement, Mike Doyle, Harris County Democratic Party chair, congratulated Turner and described the night as "an outstanding demonstration of democracy at work in an historic election."
Turner said he was honored and humbled to be selected as the nominee.
"No one can replace the Congresswoman [Jackson Lee], but I will work hard every day to honor, perpetuate and build on her amazing legacy," he said in a statement.
Prior to the Aug. 13 vote, Turner issued a 10-point platform for how he would operate as the district's congressional representative. His platform focuses on many Democratic party priorities, such as codifying Roe v. Wade into law, pursuing universal background checks on all gun purchases and fighting for full Medicaid expansion in Texas. His platform also touched on ending the state takeover of Houston ISD, fighting for environmental justice in Houston communities of Kashmere Gardens and the Fifth Ward, and keeping federal resources flowing into Houston.
A closer look
Turner will now face Republican candidate Lana Centonze in the Nov. 5 general election for District 18. In a Q&A with Community Impact before the March primary election, Centonze said her top priorities include building up a stronger economy and investing in small businesses.
Voters in District 18, which covers Downtown Houston as well as large swaths of the North Houston area, have historically elected Democratic candidates. Jackson Lee easily won the seat in November 2022 with more than 70% of the vote. Republican candidate Carmen Maria Montiel finished second in that race with 26.2% of the vote.
One more thing
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also called a special election to take place 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.
