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Rising Democratic Star Houston's Christian Menefee [1]

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Date: 2025-03-20

Houston, Texas Rising Star Democrat Christian Menefee – He Aims to Replace the Late Sylvester Turner in Congress March 18, 2025

Democrats, enough with screaming about Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) over his not willing to shut down the government, an action which would give Trump and Musk even more power. This is not the “hill to die on.” Instead of dancing in a circular firing squad which too many of us do all too often, let’s get behind putting good leaders in the U.S. House and aim to take it back in November, 2026. And let’s feel more optimistic about the talent we have coming into our ranks. If we start pushing top candidates and what Democrats really stand for, our base and much of the country will start thinking more positively about “Team Blue.” On March 17, 2025, while the country painted rivers and cities green for St. Patrick’s Day, Democrats were starting to think of, once again, painting the 18th Congressional District (CD) in Texas bright “Blue.” On that date, Harris County attorney Christian Menefee announced his bid for that congressionally-based Houston seat, left vacant by the death of Democratic Congress Member Sylvester Turner. Seventy-year old Turner died on March 5, 2025, the day after listening to Trump’s joint address to Congress. He had previously been treated for bone cancer but was cancer free when he died. Turner, a former member of the TX State House of Representatives for almost 30 years and Houston mayor from 2016-2024, had, starting in January, 2025, filled the seat of Dem. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee who had died of pancreatic cancer. Meet Mr. Menefee.

Houston, TX native Christian Dashaun Menefee, considered a rising political star by the New York Times, was born in 1988. He was the first member of his family to attend college and received his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at San Antonio and his law degree from Washington University School of Law. After obtaining his law degree, Menefee practiced law at Norton Rose Fulbright and then Kirkland and Ellis. He stated that he decided to enter politics after the 2016 election in which Trump was first elected president. He decided to run for the office of Harris County Attorney, the county in which Houston is located. According to ABC Channel 13, he stated that the office of County Attorney is “the perfect intersection of law and policy making.” In the March, 2020 Harris County Attorney Primary, Menefee defeated Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan and another challenger with 50.45% of the vote. In the November, 2020 general election, Menefee defeated his GOP rival John Nation by a 9.32% margin, 54.66%- 45.34%. At age 32, Menefee was the youngest person and first African-American to serve as chief civil lawyer for the largest county in Texas. He grew up in Houston’s 18th CD and raises his children there. He was re-elected to this post in 2024 by a 1.16% margin in a more GOP year, 50.58%-49.42%, but a “win remains a win.”

As Harris County’s top civil lawyer, Meneffee frequently challenged TX’s top GOP leaders. These challenges involved voting rights and Republican attempts to exert greater state control over local Democratic governance, according to the Texas Tribune. Menefee sued TX GOP Gov. Greg Abbott and TX GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton. He has sued TX officials over voting restrictions which the Lone Star State GOP legislature passed in 2021, and additionally challenged state officials’ demands to audit the 2020 and 2022 election results in Harris County. In 2021, after Harris County imposed a mask mandate for government buildings in that county, Menefee filed a lawsuit on behalf of that county against Gov. Abbott over his mask and vaccine mandates. Menefee’s actions against Abbott led to his appearance on news networks, including MSNBC to explain his opposing Abbott’s policies. Both the trial and appellate courts sided with Menefee in allowing Harris County’s mask mandate to stand, according to the “Austin American-Statesman.”

Menefee has also fought legal battles over environmental issues and pushed to address the impacts of pollution on communities of color. Menefee is a strong opponent of Demagogue/Dictator wannabe Donald’s draconian executive orders. Menefee additionally signed an amicus brief in a federal court lawsuit challenging Trump’s order to terminate birthright citizenship. In January, 2023 Menefee was appointed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA’s Local Government Advisory Government Committee, as noted by the National Law Review.

In running for Congress, Menefee stated that his experience as county attorney prepared him to take on the Trump administration, yet still work with GOPers when possible. In Menefee’s words, “There are going to be days where we must stand firm and fight back, including opposing efforts by Trump’s administration to spend federal funding in a way not authorized by Congress, which holds the constitutional power of the purse.” However, Menefee also stated that “there’s also going to be days when it’s about collaboration…I know how to work with Republicans. I’ve done it for the four years I’ve been in office.”

Menefee’s priorities, should he win his congressional race, would be expanding health-care access, protecting clean air and water, increasing disaster recovery funding, and improving affordability. The Trump administration’s ignoring court orders was one of the reasons for Menfee’s decision to get into this race. Since the start of Donald’s second term, Menfee stated that, “Every day we are scrambling, trying to decipher the latest executive order or decision to cut programs.” In the Texas Tribune March 16, 2025 report, Menfee aptly said, “What I realized very quickly is the fight for our democratic institutions, the fight for ensuring that the branches of government work in the way they’re supposed to, is happening right now in Washington, D.C.” Menfee added, “There was a lot of work that I could do as Harris County Attorney to try to blunt some of that, but it’s getting out of control, and it’s moving at a pace now to where we must do everything we can to ensure that Donald Trump is blocked in Washington, D.C.” Exactly.

The 18th Congressional District that Menefee is running for is known as the Downtown Houston District. It also includes Black and Latino neighborhoods immediately south of downtown, according to the 2024 Cohen & Cook Political Almanac. It takes in the city of Humble and the George Bush Intercontinental Airport as well. Part of Jacinto City lies in the 18th. Blacks make up about 34% of the 18th, but their share of that district is declining, while Hispanics have risen to 40% of its population. The 18th is one of the three districts entirely located in Harris County. The 18th is the second-most Democratic district in TX, according to the 2024 Almanac. This district was first represented by the legendary Black Congress Member Barbara Jordan, the first African-American woman elected from the South who was known for her powerful oratory. After Sheila Jackson Lee died in 2024, her daughter Erica Lee Carter succeeded Jackson Lee to fill out her unexpired term. Former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner succeeded Carter before his passing in March, 2025. This district, since 1972, has strongly voted for a Democrat in every presidential election. According to Wikipedia, George McGovern, who was clobbered by Nixon in TX and in a national landslide, took 69% of the TX 18th vote. When Mondale was pulverized in TX and nationally by Reagan in 1984, the Lone Star 18th gave him 72% of its vote. The most recent Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) gave the 18th a “Deep Blue” D+23 score. And for those of you who were fans of the TV “West Wing” political drama starring Martin Sheen (like I was), TX’s 18th CD was represented by Democratic presidential candidate Matt Santos who succeeded Democrat Josiah Bartlett in the Oval Office.

Obviously, theTX 18th is a strong Democratic district. Should Menefee win his primary and the general election, he would be an up-and-coming legislator.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/20/2311487/-Rising-Democratic-Star-Houston-s-Christian-Menefee?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web

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