All articles tagged with #democratic primary runoff
U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee defeated U.S. Rep. Al Green in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas’ newly redrawn 18th District, winning about 70% of the vote in Harris County as Fort Bend voting delays briefly slowed the process. Menefee, who won a January special election to fill the seat, will face Republican Ronald Whitfield in November, a result seen as a potential Democratic bellwether amid ongoing redistricting.
Rep. Shawn Thierry, a Houston Democrat, has been forced into a primary runoff with labor organizer Lauren Ashley Simmons after angering her party by siding with Republicans on bills opposed by the LGBTQ+ community. The race has become a referendum on whether Democrats can remain in good standing with the party if they are not fully supportive of LGBTQ+ rights. Thierry's opponents coalesced around Simmons, who secured endorsements from labor unions, Planned Parenthood, and the influential Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus. Thierry's small-dollar donations largely dried up, and her reelection campaign relied heavily on wealthy Republican donors.