Former Houston mayor to replace late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee on ballot

Former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner has won the Democratic nomination to replace the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.), making Turner her likely successor next year in the heavily Democratic district that she represented for nearly three decades.

Democratic precinct chairs in the 18th Congressional District on Tuesday night picked Turner to take Jackson Lee’s place on the November ballot after she died last month. Turner faced five opponents in the first round of voting before advancing to a runoff against Amanda Edwards, a former Houston City Council member who ran against Jackson Lee in the March primary. Turner defeated Edwards 41 to 37 percent in an unusual runoff.

The election was conducted by the local Democratic Party, which gathered the precinct chairs who make up the 18th District. There was an initial round of voting where each precinct chair publicly announced their choice to the room. No candidate received a majority of the vote, triggering a unique runoff in which precinct chairs physically sorted themselves to indicate whether they supported Turner or Edwards.

There is also a Nov. 5 special election to finish Jackson Lee’s unexpired term, which goes until January. Her daughter, Erica Lee Carter, who did not vie for the replacement nomination Tuesday, announced Monday she would run in the special election; Turner is not expected to do so.

Jackson Lee, 74, died July 19 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Vice President Kamala Harris eulogized Jackson Lee at a funeral in Houston earlier this month, calling her a “force of nature.”

Turner was seen as the front-runner for the replacement nomination. He had the support of Jackson Lee’s two children, including Lee Carter, as well as at least 30 precinct chairs who publicly backed him ahead of Tuesday’s vote. The first round of voting was nonetheless close, with Turner taking 35 votes to 34 for Edwards.

Turner is a veteran Houston politician and reliable supporter of Democratic policies. His No. 1 platform plank was to “keep federal resources flowing” after Jackson Lee’s death to address issues in the district such as rising prices and reproductive rights.

“This is a critical moment, and it demands relationships and experience right now,” Turner told precinct chairs.

Edwards pitched herself as part of a new generation of leadership that would “build upon the strength of the congresswoman’s office and legacy but move us forward.”

“We just saw our very own president, President Joe Biden, step aside and make room for Vice President Kamala Harris to emerge as our new presidential nominee,” Edwards said in her final speech of the night. “Let us make this moment … count.”

Turner was Houston mayor from 2016 until January of this year, when he left office due to term limits. He previously served for 27 years in the Texas House of Representatives.

Jackson Lee ran to succeed Turner as mayor last year, but lost to a fellow Democrat, state Sen. John Whitmire, in a runoff. Turner endorsed Jackson Lee in the runoff.

The Nov. 5 special election to complete Jackson Lee’s term will coincide with the general election in Texas. The winner of the special election will probably serve for a short time, especially if no candidate receives more than a majority of the vote and a runoff is needed. The candidate filing deadline for the special election is Aug. 22.