AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., left, holds a ceremonial swearing-in for Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, right, as his wife Kaitlyn Menefee, center, holds the Bible, at the Capitol, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Christian Menefee was sworn into Congress on Monday, ending nearly a year without representation for Houston residents in the 18th Congressional District.
Menefee, the former Harris County attorney, defeated former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards in a special election runoff on Saturday. The 18th District has been without a representative in Washington since the death of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner in March 2025.
In his first remarks as a member of Congress, Menefee praised the diligence of his new constituents for enduring 334 days without representation.
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“It’s been more than 330 days since the people of the 18th Congressional District had representation, had a voice in Congress,” he said. “When this body took on important votes about whether to cut SNAP benefits, about whether to make it more difficult to access Medicaid, important issues, this district had no voice in Congress.”
Menefee also invoked the legacies of Barbara Jordan, Sheila Jackson Lee and Turner as his predecessors, calling them “fighters.” Beginning with Jordan, the district has been represented by a Black Democrat since the early 1970s.
Menefee’s swearing in shrunk Republicans’ slim advantage in the U.S. House. Democrats now have 214 House members compared to 218 for the GOP.
Though Menefee will carry out Turner’s congressional term, through the end of this year, he faces a heated Democratic primary this March in his bid to keep the seat in 2027 and beyond. Under Texas’ redrawn congressional maps, Menefee is now in the same district as U.S. Rep. Al Green, the longtime representative in the 9th Congressional District. The 78-year-old Green is switching districts for his reelection bid and will challenge the 37-year-old Menefee in this year’s Democratic primary, which also is set to include the 44-year-old Edwards.
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After his swearing in Monday night, Menefee shared an embrace with Green on the House floor. In a post on social media, Green congratulated Menefee and said he looked forward to serving with him in Congress.