Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) set the special election to replace the late Rep. Sylvester Turner for Nov. 4 after Democratic outrage that the governor had not done so escalated over the past week.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said last week he would “very likely” file a lawsuit after Abbott had slow-walked announcing a special election date for Turner’s seat. The governor’s announcement comes just over a month after Turner died on March 5.
It’s unclear if a lawsuit will still be filed; however, earlier on Monday, Jeffries stated during a press conference that he was in “close communication with the people on the ground in Houston” and that he expected an announcement to be “forthcoming.”
The Houston race has become crowded, with at least 11 candidates eyeing the seat representing one of the largest cities in the country. The Democrats who have filed paperwork to run are Isaiah Martin, Amanda Edwards, Christian Menefee, Robert Slater, James Joseph, Earnest Clayton, Kivan Polimis, and Selena Samuel. One Republican, Cyrus Sajna, is in the race for what should be a safe blue seat, and two independents, Khristopher Beal and Derrell Turner, are also in it.
Candidates must file their applications with the secretary of state by 5 p.m. on Sept. 3, with early voting beginning on Oct. 20 and going through Oct. 31.
In a press release announcing the special election, Abbott explained why the special election will not be held until November, saying, “No county in Texas does a worse job of conducting elections than Harris County.”
“They repeatedly fail to conduct elections consistent with state law,” Abbott’s statement read. “Safe and secure elections are critical to the foundation of our state. Forcing Harris County to rush this special election on weeks’ notice would harm the interests of voters. The appropriate time to hold this election is November, which will give Harris County sufficient time to prepare for such an important election.”
Turner, a freshman member of Congress, had recovered from bone cancer in 2022 when he announced he was “cancer-free.” Turner filled the vacancy following the death of longtime House Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. Turner was both the former mayor of Houston and a Texas state representative.
Following Lee’s death last year, the governor called the special election almost immediately — but this special election has been handled very differently. With the smallest margin in House history, every seat matters each week Congress is in session. Democrats have accused Abbott of “playing politics” in delaying the special election as a result of the gap in time between Turner’s death and the declaration of the special election.
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The Nov. 4 date gives House GOP leadership a solid seven months without Turner’s seat filled. Democrats also have an open seat in Arizona following the death of Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who died on March 13. That seat will be filled on Sept. 23.
“This is straight-up taxation without representation,” Martin told the Washington Examiner last week. “Greg Abbott is playing partisan politics and depriving our district of a vote, I’m sure because he knows we’re unapologetically opposed to Trump’s disastrous agenda that’s destroying our economy and making our country weaker every single day.”