Former Houston Harris County attorney and Democrat Christian Menifee wins special congressional election in left-leaning congressional district In Texas, It has been vacant for nearly a year.

Menifee defeated former Houston City Council member and fellow Democrat Amanda Edwards in Saturday’s runoff to fill the seat left vacant after the death of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner last March, the Associated Press reported.

Menifee victory means Republican strength is weak House majority party They currently control Houses 218-213 and will lose one seat when Menifee is sworn into Congress.

Fears of Democratic takeover soar as House Republicans hold fragile majority

Harris County Prosecutor Christian Menifee is endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus Political Action Committee. (Harris County Prosecutor’s Office official website)

Sylvester is a longtime state lawmaker who served two terms as Houston mayor before winning congressional election in 2024 to fill the seat of the late, longtime Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.

Texas redraws congressional maps for 2026 midterm elections as part of high-stakes redistricting battle between presidents Donald Trump Special elections between Republicans and Democrats used the state’s current district lines.

Fears of Democratic takeover soar as House Republicans hold fragile majority

Texas Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner passed away on March 5, 2025. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Another lawmaker joining the ranks of House Democrats would create further headaches for Republican leadership in the chamber.

‘They’d better be here,’ House Speaker Mike Johnson member recently spoke about him. “I’m not joking when I tell you, don’t do adventure sports, don’t take risks, take your vitamins. Stay healthy and stay here.”

Louisiana House Speaker Mike Johnson walks out of the House chamber to talk to reporters after the final vote to end the longest government shutdown in history, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office confirmed it is advising lawmakers “in a life-or-death situation” that they want Republican members to remain on Capitol Hill.

There are three other special congressional elections this year.

Eleven candidates will compete in the Democratic primary on February 5 in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

The seat has been vacant since the election of the current New Jersey governor. Mikey Sherrill Resigned after winning November’s Garden State gubernatorial election.

Then-Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill resigned from Congress in November after winning the New Jersey gubernatorial election. (Michael Nagel/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The winner of the Democratic primary will face off against Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican to file to run in the April 16 special election.

Sherrill won re-election in 2024 by 15 percentage points in a northern suburban New Jersey district that leans left, the same margin she won in the November gubernatorial runoff.

Reporter’s Notebook: House exodus threatens Johnson’s power as more than 40 MPs prepare to quit

But then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just 8 points in the 2024 presidential election, giving Republicans some hope of potentially flipping the seat.

As many as 22 candidates, including 17 Republicans, will compete in the special election in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District to succeed former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Four weeks ago, the Make America Great Again firebrand and once Trump’s top ally in the House resigned from Congress a year before his term ended.

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned from Congress on January 5, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Under Georgia law, all candidates will appear on the same ballot. If no contender receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held on April 7 between the top two candidates.

The northwest Georgia district is solidly Republican, with Greene winning re-election in 2024 by nearly 30 points and Trump winning it by 37 points.

Primary Day for California’s 2026 elections is scheduled for June 2, which this year will also include a primary for the state’s 1st Congressional District special election to fill the seat left vacant after the recent unexpected death of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa. The general election will be held on August 4.

The district is in northeastern California and is solidly Republican.

California Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa passed away on January 6, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Like Texas, California is changing its congressional map as part of a redistricting war, but special elections will be held under current district lines.

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The White House and congressional Republicans criticized Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision not to hold a special election to fill LaMalfa’s seat until August, six months after the late congressman’s death.

But Democrats also complained that Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott did not schedule a special election to fill Turner’s seat until eight months after Turner’s death.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.