Former Houston mayor selected to replace Sheila Jackson Lee in race for House seat

Former Democratic Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will replace the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee on the November ballot for a full term after a vote of 18th Congressional District precinct chairs on Tuesday.

Jackson Lee had won the Democratic primary for Texas’s 18th Congressional District in March, but she died last month after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June. Turner defeated former Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards after two rounds of voting. Turner received 35 votes compared to Edwards’s 34 votes in the first round, but because neither won a majority of the 79 precinct chairs, the two advanced to a second round where Turner won 41 votes, according to the Houston Chronicle.

“I am honored and humbled to be the Democratic Party’s nominee on the November 5 ballot to represent the historic 18th Congressional District. No one can replace the Congresswoman, but I will work hard every day to honor, perpetuate, and build on her amazing legacy,” Turner said in a statement on Wednesday.

“This part of the campaign is over. Now it is time to move forward together, as proud Democrats, to take back the House of Representatives, elect Kamala Harris as President, turn Texas Blue, and enthusiastically continue the noble fight for a thriving 18th for ALL our people,” he added.

Turner will be heavily favored in the general election against Republican Lana Centonze on Nov. 5 for the opportunity to serve a full term to represent the district in the 119th Congress. The Cook Political Report has rated the race “solid Democratic,” with the district having a partisan voting index of Democrat +23.

On Nov. 5, voters in Texas’s 18th District will also vote in a special election to fill Jackson Lee’s seat for the remaining term of the 118th Congress, which will expire Jan. 3, 2025.

Erica Lee Carter, daughter of the late congresswoman, announced she would run in the special election to succeed her mother for the last two months of her term.

The Washington Post has reported that Turner is not expected to run in the special election.

Candidates looking to appear on the ballot in the special election have until 6 p.m. on Aug. 22, to submit their applications to the state.