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WASHINGTON – Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said on Monday that a special election to fill the U.S. House of Representatives seat left vacant by late Rep. Sylvester Turner will take place on Nov. 4.
His announcement comes as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., threatened a lawsuit against Abbott last week, alleging that Abbott was holding off on calling a special election date, according to NBC News. Jeffries and other Democrats have claimed that Abbott’s delay was intentional to benefit Republicans, who hold a razor thin 220-213 seat majority in the House. Turner represented a heavily Democratic district in Texas.
But Abbott said in a statement on Monday that Harris County in Texas needs “sufficient time” to prepare for the special election.
“No county in Texas does a worse job of conducting elections than Harris County…Safe and secure elections are critical to the foundation of our state,” he said. “Forcing Harris County to rush this special election on weeks’ notice would harm the interests of voters. The appropriate time to hold this election is November, which will give Harris County sufficient time to prepare for such an important election.”
Harris County clerk Teneshia Hudspeth wrote in a social media post last week that her office had “successfully” conducted eight elections since September 2023 in coordination with the Texas Secretary of State’s office, the county’s Republican and Democratic parties and others.
“We remain fully prepared to conduct the Congressional District 18 election as soon as the Governor issues the order,” Hudspeth wrote in a statement.
Last year after Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who previously represented Turner’s seat, died in July, Abbott set the election date to fill her seat on Nov. 5, 2024.