WASHINGTON — Republicans in Texas said Monday that Nov. 4 would be the date of the special election to fill the House seat held by the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, who died suddenly in March.
Because of the ruling, the deep blue congressional seat in Houston will be empty for about eight months.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other Democrats said Abbott put off calling the special election on purpose to help the GOP’s already slim majority in the body. In the House, Republicans only have a 220–213 edge over Democrats. This means that Speaker Mike Johnson, R–La., can only afford three Republicans to vote against him on any given vote.
He blamed Harris County, though, in a statement released Monday, saying that poll officials there do a bad job.
“They keep failing to hold elections in a way that follows state law.” Elections must be safe and secure for our state to be built. “Forcing Harris County to hold this special election quickly with only a few weeks’ notice would be bad for voters,” Abbott said. “November is the right month for this election because it will give Harris County enough time to get ready for such a big one.”
On Monday, Abbott made his statement. This came just hours after Jeffries criticised Abbott at a news conference in the U.S. Capitol for “conspiring” with Republicans in Congress to delay the special election. About 800,000 people live in the area, and most of them are Black or Hispanic.
“The Republicans are on the run on the economy, they’re on the run on health care, they’re on the run in the courts, they’re on the run electorally, and they’re on the run legislatively,” Jeffries said, “which is why Gov. Abbott is conspiring with House Republicans to rig the system and not call a special election.”
Jeffries said last week that Democrats would “very likely” sue Abbott if he didn’t call a special election soon.
It looks like Texas law doesn’t set a due date for when the governor has to call a special election after an opening occurs. In Texas, special votes usually happen at the same time as regular elections, unless the governor says it’s an emergency.
In this case, Abbott decided that Turner’s special election would happen on the next normally scheduled election day in November.
More time will pass before the Turner seat in the Texas House is filled again. When D-Texas Rep. Filemon Vela quit on March 31, 2022, Abbott quickly set a special election for June 14, 2022.
That same 18th Congressional District spot in Houston was held by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who died in office on July 19. On August 2, Abbott called a special election for November 5, that same year.
A Harris County lawyer and Democrat named Christian Menefee wants to run for the spot this year. He had asked Abbott to call a special election right away in June.
On Monday, Menefee said, “It is unacceptable that nearly 800,000 people in this district will not have a voice in Congress for most of the year.” “No one will be there to fight for us during hurricane season, budget fights, and attacks on Social Security and Medicaid.” Abbott has moved quickly in other areas, so he knows how to do it again. He could have, but he decided not to for us.
Turner, who used to be mayor of Houston, died on March 5, not long after going to President Trump’s joint speech to Congress. He was 70 years old.
