Texas special election to replace Rep. Sylvester Turner heads to runoff

A special election to fill former Rep. Sylvester Turner’s (D-Texas) seat will head to an all-Democratic runoff, according to a Decision Desk HQ projection.

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee (D) and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards (D) advanced, as the top two vote-getters on a night no candidate received an outright majority.

Sixteen candidates ran to fill the remainder of Turner’s term in the House after he died in March.

As expected, the Houston seat will remain in Democrats’ hands, but the runoff will temporarily delay the minority party from being able to add to its caucus House. Republicans currently hold a 219-213 margin, as they’ve refused to seat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) since her special election win in September.

Grijalva and the winner of Turner's seat, once they are sworn in, would narrow the GOP majority to 219-215.