2 weeks Ago By Sarah Grunau
Top candidates for the race to fill Texas’s 18th Congressional District seat have each reeled in nearly $400,000 in campaign donations. Acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards each raised thousands of dollars just weeks into the race, according to Federal Election Commission records. The announcements about campaign finances come a week after Texas Gov.
Greg Abbott, who was criticized for not calling a special election on the May 3 ballot, issued an afternoon proclamation scheduling an election for November. However, candidates started announcing their bids for the seat shortly after the death of U.S.
Rep. Sylvester Turner left the Houston seat vacant. RELATED: Texas governor calls November special election for Houston's vacant congressional seat The seat will remain vacant until the election in November.
Menefee, a Democrat, called Abbott’s delay “a slap in the face to every person who’s ever relied on their member of Congress to fight for them.” Documents detailing donations made to Edwards’s campaign were not available on Wednesday. A spokesperson for her campaign declined to immediately provide the records to Houston Public Media.
The FEC only had the total amount for Edwards’ campaign. In a press release Wednesday, her campaign asserted that Edwards has raised more than $375,000 in the first quarter of 2025. The report was filed with the FEC on Tuesday, according to the release, which didn’t detail information about those who contributed to her campaign.
In a press conference last month , Edwards, a Democrat, laid out the theme of her campaign and said she was the best person to fight for the district’s residents against the policies of President Donald Trump. “I’m deeply humbled and energized by this outpouring of support,” Edwards said in a statement Wednesday. “In light of the recent vacancies, the residents of TX-18 are long overdue for representation that will place people over politics, and I will deliver the results our community deserves.
” Menefee has raised more than $390,000 in his bid for the seat, according to the FEC. Menefee’s campaign received a $2,000 gift from Erica Lee Carter, the late U.S.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s daughter. Lee Carter briefly held the congressional district seat after Jackson Lee’s death last year left the seat vacant.
She completed two months in her mother’s term before Turner held the seat. He also gained a $2,500 donation from former mayoral candidate and Houston-area attorney Lee Kaplan. Houston city controller Chris Hollins donated $3,500 to his campaign.
Odus Evbagharu, treasurer of the Texas Democratic Party, donated $3,500 to Menefee’s campaign, according to campaign finance records. "I'm incredibly grateful for the support we've received in these first two weeks," Menefee said in a statement on Wednesday. "It's a sign that people are paying attention—and they're ready for a candidate who works hard and delivers results.
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