House GOP majority on the brink as all-Democrat Texas special congressional election underway

By Fox News · Fox News

Republicans are clinging to a razor-thin 218-213 House majority . And the GOP's margin will shrink even further after a special congressional election this weekend to fill the seat in a Democrat-dominated district which has been vacant for nearly a year. That's because the two candidates in Saturday's runoff election in Texas' 18th Congressional District are both Democrats. Voters in the district, which is anchored by downtown Houston and surrounding areas, head to the polls to choose a successor to fill the seat left vacant when Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner died last March. Sylvester, a former longtime state lawmaker, served two terms as Houston mayor before winning election to Congress in 2024, succeeding the late longtime Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. DEMOCRATIC TAKEOVER FEARS SOAR AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS CLING TO FRAGILE MAJORITY Democrats Christian Menefee, a former attorney for Houston's Harris County , and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards are facing off in the special election. They were the top two finishers in a field of 16 candidates that faced off in an initial election in November. While Texas has redrawn its congressional maps for the 2026 midterms, as part of the high-stakes redistricting battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats, the special election will use the state's current district lines. CASH SURGE: HOUSE GOP SPOTLIGHTS RECORD FUNDRAISING AHEAD OF MIDTERM CLASH The winner of the special election will give the Democrats one additional House member, giving Republican leadership further headaches. "They'd better be here," House Speaker Mike Johnson recently said of his members. "I told everybody, and not in jest, I said, no adventure sports, no risk-taking, take your vitamins. Stay healthy and be here." And House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office confirmed it is advising members that "outside of life-and-death circumstances," they expect Republican lawmakers to be on Capitol Hill. Three other sp…