The Latest Breaking News from Christian Menefee

Jones, a Democrat elected to the Texas House in 2022 and previously served on the Houston City Council, joins a slate of candidates running to fill the solidly blue seat.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has set the special election for the vacant 18th District seat for Nov. 4, drawing swift condemnation from Democrats.

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. The deaths of two House Democrats early in the 119th Congress, combined with the Senate holding out on confirming…

Edwards unsuccessfully ran for the seat twice last year. She faced off against U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the 2024 Democratic primary. Jackson Lee won the primary but died before the general election, opening the party’s nomination anew

The district has been a Democratic stronghold, held for decades by Sheila Jackson Lee and most recently by former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who died March 5.

A 2017 law lets the state block local governments, individuals and nonprofits from suing polluters and pursue the cases itself.

Four states so far have passed laws prohibiting the use of public money for no-strings cash aid. Advocates for basic income say the backlash is being fueled by a conservative think tank.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is challenging the program, saying it violates the Texas Constitution.

The program would give roughly 1,900 households payments of $500 for 18 months with no strings attached. Paxton called it “plainly unconstitutional.”

A Harris County poverty relief program intended to put money into needy pockets faces a challenge from a Texas state senator.

The ruling means the November elections in the state’s largest county will be overseen by two other county officials. Legislators targeted Harris County’s elections department after taking issue with the way the 2022 elections were run.