Houston, Texas — House Speaker Mike Johnson’s already slim majority narrowed further Saturday after Democrat Christian Menefee won a special election in Texas’ 18th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
Menefee, the Harris County attorney, defeated former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards in a runoff election to succeed late Rep. Sylvester Turner. The Houston-based district is heavily Democratic, and the result was widely expected, but it carries immediate implications for control of the U.S. House. With Menefee’s victory, Democrats now hold 214 seats to Republicans’ 218, leaving Johnson able to lose just one Republican vote on party-line legislation.
The reduced margin comes as Johnson prepares to advance legislation aimed at ending the ongoing government shutdown, a move that may require near-unanimous Republican support. Any defection could derail GOP-only efforts and force negotiations with Democrats.
Menefee and Edwards advanced to the runoff after finishing first and second in a crowded primary last November. The seat has seen unusual turnover following the deaths of both Turner and longtime Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who previously represented the district.
Republicans are expected to regain a seat in March when Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, a solidly Republican area, elects a replacement for former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. However, that gain could be short-lived. Democrats are favored to pick up seats later this year in New Jersey’s 11th District and potentially in California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom scheduled a special election for August, limiting any immediate GOP relief.
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