UPDATE 1-Democrat Menefee wins Texas special election for US House seat, AP reports

Menefee ⁠and ‌Edwards were the top two vote-getters ⁠in a field of 16 candidates in last November's election, requiring Saturday's runoff. Last year, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, enraged Democrats when he delayed the ‍swearing-in of now-Representative Adelita Grijalva following a special election in Arizona.

Democrat Christian Menefee won a Texas special election for the U.S. House of Representatives ‌on Saturday, the Associated Press reported, a result that will narrow Republicans' already slender majority in the chamber. Democrats Menefee, 37, a former Harris County attorney, and Amanda Edwards, 44, a former Houston city ⁠council member, were vying in a runoff to represent Texas' 18th Congressional District, a solidly Democratic area encompassing much of the inner city of Houston and the surrounding region.

The Texas secretary of state did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for confirmation of the election ​results. Republicans hold a 218-213 House majority. Democrats will insist upon a prompt swearing-in for Menefee, tightening the Republican lead to 218-214. ‍Three House vacancies in Georgia, New Jersey and California are scheduled to be filled by special elections in March, April and August, respectively.

The Texas district has been vacant most of the past year. Menefee will replace the late Representative Sylvester Turner, who served only two months in the House before his death in March. Menefee ⁠and ‌Edwards were the top two vote-getters ⁠in a field of 16 candidates in last November's election, requiring Saturday's runoff.

Last year, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, enraged Democrats when he delayed the ‍swearing-in of now-Representative Adelita Grijalva following a special election in Arizona. She won that contest in September but was not sworn in until mid-November. In the coming ​weeks, Congress could vote on contentious issues, including legislation that would impose tougher operating procedures on federal immigration agents in Minneapolis ⁠and other cities throughout the nation. An attempt to reinstate a federal health insurance subsidy also remains a priority for many lawmakers.

Both measures, if they materialize, could be ⁠among several items decided by tight votes. Democrats have fared well in special elections since the beginning of last year, boosting the party's hopes of winning control of the House in November's midterm congressional elections, especially given Republican President Donald Trump's anemic popularity at the ⁠moment.

This Texas special election, however, does not provide insights into which party might prevail in November. In the 2024 presidential election, Democratic ⁠presidential candidate Kamala Harris won the ‌district over Trump 69%-29%. All 435 House seats will be up for grabs in November. The party that holds the White House typically loses seats in the midterms.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)