Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has set a special election to replace the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee for Nov. 5, 2024, the same day as the general election. The special election will determine who will serve out the rest of Jackson Lee’s term through January, while the general election will determine who will serve the next term beginning in January and ending in January 2027. The 88 Democratic precinct chairs in the district will vote later this month to select a party nominee for the general election, as there will be no primary since Jackson Lee won in March.
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and former City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards have announced their candidacy for the race to replace Jackson Lee in the state’s 18th Congressional District. Turner called Jackson Lee his “dear friend” and vowed to honor her legacy, while Edwards expressed her intention to fight for the district in the long haul.
Any additional candidates wishing to run in the special election must declare their candidacy by August 22. Jackson Lee, who served in the House since 1995, passed away on July 19 after battling cancer. Mourners, including Vice President Kamala Harris, gathered in Houston earlier in the week for Jackson Lee’s memorial service.
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