Menefee wins TX-18 Democratic primary runoff in Houston, shutting out Green
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Freshman Rep. Christian Menefee defeated longtime Rep. Al Green in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, following a rare incumbent-on-incumbent contest caused by Republican-led redistricting.
- Menefee, 38, who replaced the late Rep. Sylvester Turner earlier this year, secured 46% of the primary vote initially, leading to a runoff where he ultimately prevailed over Green, 78, a vocal Trump critic seeking his 12th term.
- The redistricting made Green’s previous 9th District more Republican, prompting him to run in the Houston-based 18th District, which has been represented by Black lawmakers since 1973, starting with Barbara Jordan.
- Menefee emphasized his legal actions against the Trump administration and received significant outside financial support from a cryptocurrency-aligned super PAC, while Green criticized such megadonor spending.
- The district experienced the deaths of two sitting representatives in 2024 and 2025, leaving it vacant for much of the past two years before Menefee’s election.