did al green lose his primary is the question hanging over Texas’ 18th Congressional District as vote counting continues Tuesday night, with early voting returns putting U. S. Rep. Christian Menefee ahead of longtime U. S. Rep. Al Green. The contest is unfolding in the newly redrawn Houston-area district after a mid-decade redistricting move that shifted Green’s home into the 18th and set up a rare incumbent-vs-incumbent Democratic matchup. As of 10: 35 p. m. ET Tuesday, Election Day results were still being tallied, meaning the early vote snapshot is not the final outcome.
What we know right now in TX-18
Early voting results released Tuesday by the Harris County Clerk’s Office showed Menefee leading Green in the Democratic primary, while Election Day totals had not yet been fully added to the count. Menefee received 48. 75% of the early vote compared with 43. 13% for Green.
County-level early voting results showed a split picture across the district’s footprint. In Harris County, Menefee received 54. 69% of the early vote while Green received 36. 79%. In Fort Bend County, which includes part of the 18th District, early voting totals showed Green at 61. 9% and Menefee at 31. 08%.
The primary is scheduled for March 3, and the district is considered a reliably blue seat, making the Democratic contest central to who is expected to ultimately hold the seat. If no candidate clears 50 percent, the top two finishers advance to a runoff.
Did Al Green Lose His Primary? The live question as counting continues
At this stage, did al green lose his primary cannot be answered definitively from the early voting results alone, because Election Day results were still being tallied Tuesday night. What is clear is that Menefee held a narrow early-vote edge districtwide, with Green outperforming in Fort Bend County early votes and Menefee running stronger in Harris County early votes.
The race is being closely watched because it was created by redistricting that folded much of the 9th Congressional District—currently represented by Green—into the 18th. Green, a 20-year House veteran whose home is now in the 18th, chose to run in the new district and faced Menefee, described as a progressive Democrat who recently won a special election runoff to fill the seat left vacant by Representative Sylvester Turner’s death.
Immediate reactions from the candidates
Speaking at a watch party Tuesday night, Menefee addressed the contest directly and framed his campaign as forward-looking. “Al Green, you can tear us down, but I’m gonna build us up. I’m focused on taking this district to the future, ” said Christian Menefee, U. S. Representative for Texas’ 18th Congressional District. “And I will not lose my integrity for no damn elected office. ”
Green, speaking at his own watch party, said he still wants to continue serving. “The 18th Congressional District has been without representation for almost a year, and I want people to know that I plan to maintain my high voting record, and that I’m on the job, ” said Al Green, U. S. Representative. “And hopefully people will understand and realize that this is what they have elected me to do. ”
Quick context: why this primary is different
The 18th District’s Democratic primary became an incumbent-versus-incumbent fight after Texas Republicans undertook a rare mid-decade redistricting last summer designed to help the GOP win up to five additional seats in the November midterm election. In the 18th, the new map shifted Green’s home and many of his constituents into the district, prompting his run there against Menefee.
What’s next as results firm up
Election officials were still counting Election Day votes as of 10: 35 p. m. ET Tuesday, and the district’s final result will determine whether a runoff is triggered under the 50 percent threshold rule. Until the full tally is complete, did al green lose his primary remains an open, live question—one that will be settled only when the remaining votes are added and the districtwide totals are finalized.
