Rep. Al Green (D-TX) is being forced into a runoff with Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX) after neither candidate was able to secure a majority of the vote in Texas’s primary elections on Tuesday.
Menefee, 37, is the first competitive primary the 78-year-old congressman has faced in years. The Associated Press called the race at 11:19 a.m. on Wednesday. Green lags slightly behind his challenger, holding 44.2% of the vote compared to Menefee’s 46% with 96% of ballots counted.
Menefee won a special election last month to replace the late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner, but Texas redistricting forced the congressman to run against Green in the same district.
Green gained national attention last week during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, when he stood up and held a sign that said “black people are not apes.” He was forced to leave the chamber, less than a year after he was asked to leave Trump’s address before Congress for waving his cane and yelling at the president.
Green, though a staunch progressive, is among several older establishment Democrats facing competitive primary challenges in the 2026 cycle, as younger Democrats and progressive candidates demand new blood in Congress. The 78-year-old has served in the House since 2009.
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Menefee’s performance in the race is a sign that several Democratic incumbents may have trouble this cycle, as they, too, face challengers from their progressive flank or from a much younger candidate. Some lawmakers, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) or Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), have opted to retire instead of going through a battle for generational change.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) was set to face Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, due to redistricting, as well. But Doggett, who has served since 1995, opted to retire after this term instead of entering into a competitive primary.