A month after U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott explains his reasoning on why he has delayed in calling for a special election to fill the seat representing parts of Houston, a Democratic stronghold, in Congress.
RELATED: Gov. Greg Abbott showing no rush to replace late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner
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Turner, who previously served in the Texas House for nearly three decades before becoming mayor of Houston, died March 5, two months into his first term representing Texas’ 18th Congressional District.
Abbott has the sole authority to call a special election to fill Turner’s seat for the rest of the two-year term. State law does not specify a deadline for the governor to order a special election. If called, the election must happen within two months of the announcement.
Recently, Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee, along with other members apart of the county’s Democratic Party, has called out the governor for not calling for a special election.
Texas’ next scheduled election date is May 3. Per state election law and precedent, the governor would have had to order the special election by March 18 for it to take place in May. The practical deadline to call a May 3 election may have also already passed, due to how much time the state needs to program voting machines and prepare and mail ballots.
On Friday, Abbott posted a video on X, stating why he hasn’t made an immediate call to fill the late Rep. Sylvester Turner’s seat.
In the video, Abbott says the following:
“Listen, there’s going to be a time to do it. Know this, that is -- that election is in Harris County. And Harris County is a repeat failure as it concerns operating an election.
“Had I called that very quickly, it could have led to a failure in that election, just like Harris County has failed in other elections. They need to have adequate time to operate a fair and accurate election -- not a crazy election like what they’ve conducted in the past.
“I will be announcing that sometime soon, but I want to make sure Harris County has all the opportunity to get this right, unlike what they’ve done in the past.”
People have asked why I did not immediately call to fill the late Rep. Sylvester Turner’s seat. Here is why: pic.twitter.com/ngl8PHCe1P
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 4, 2025
In response to the governor’s claims, Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth issued the following statement on social media:
“Since the Texas Legislature returned election administration duties to the Harris County Clerk’s Office on September 1, 2023, my office has successfully conducted eight elections—including the 2024 joint primary election—in collaboration with key stakeholders such as the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, the Harris County Republican and Democratic parties, Commissioner’s Court, and others. We remain fully prepared to conduct the Congressional District 18 election as soon as the Governor issues the order."
Harris County Clerk's response to Governor Abbott's comments about ordering the Congressional District 18 Special Election. #harrisvotes #harriscountyclerksoffice pic.twitter.com/GCA5C578iN
— Harris County Elections Department (@HarrisVotes) April 4, 2025
Since Turner’s passing, the race has heated up with several Democrat leaders running to replace the late rep and former Houston mayor. Among the lineup include Jackson-Lee’s former senior advisor Isaiah Martin and former Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards.
LIST: Who’s running for 18th congressional district?
Menefee, however, is backed by Erica Lee Carter, the late congresswoman’s daughter, who previously held Jackson Lee’s seat before Turner was sworn in January and is currently serving as his campaign’s chairwoman.
The Texas Tribune has contributed to this report.