AUSTIN (Nexstar) — When asked why he has not called for a special election to fill the vacant seat left by the passing of former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Governor Greg Abbott said Harris County will need “adequate time” to conduct the election after “repeated failures” in the past. But Democratic lawmakers at the state and federal level say the Governor is playing politics as U.S. House Republicans hold a slim majority.
“Had I called that very quickly, it could have led to a failure in that election, just like Harris County has failed in other elections, they need to have adequate time to operate a fair and accurate election, not a crazy election, like what they’ve conducted in the past,” Gov. Abbott said during a live newscast to Nexstar.Play Video
Gov. Abbott says Harris County is repeated failure at operating elections
Harris County elections have drawn scrutiny in the past from lawmakers. An audit of the elections in the county between 2021 and 2022 found “systemic failures by the Harris County Elections Administrator to properly distribute election supplies, including ballots, train election workers, and maintain the voter roll have contributed to a breakdown in public trust in the Harris County election system.”
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In 2023, the Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 1750, which abolished the role of elections administrator in Harris County and returned the election duties back to the county clerk. Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said in a statement to Nexstar that since resuming election duties in September 2023, her office has successfully conducted eight elections.MOST READ: Hundreds protest Trump, Musk at Texas Capitol
“We remain fully prepared to conduct the Congressional District 18 election as soon as the Governor issues the order,” Hudspeth’s statement read.
The Harris County Clerk’s office said after the order is issued it will take about 60 days to prepare for an election of this size. State and federal laws require election officials to send out overseas and military ballots at least 45 days before election day, according to the county clerk’s office.
The governor said he will call for the election “sometime soon,” but Houston-area lawmakers at a news conference at the state Capitol Thursday demanded the governor call for the election now.
“Please call a special election today and let the people vote,” State Rep. Jolanda Jones, D – Houston, said. CD 18 encompasses parts of Houston. A Democrat has represented that area for decades and now Democratic members believe the governor is not calling for a special election because he knows a Democrat will win the seat and chip away at the seven-seat majority the Republicans currently hold in the U.S. House.MOST READ: Olive Garden dethroned as U.S.’ most popular casual dining chain
State Representatives Christina Morales, D – Houston, Charlene Ward Johnson, D – Houston, Lauren Ashley Simmons, D – Houston, and State Senator Molly Cook, D – Houston, were all at the news conference Thursday in solidarity to raise concerns for the people living in CD 18.
“People not only deserve fair representation in these policies that are affecting them, they need constituent services, and right now they are being denied the person who can run point for that district to make sure that folks are drawing down the federal dollars that they need,” Cook said.
Ward Johnson added, “We’re losing out on funding and an important vote that impacts our district. We need someone in congressional district 18 that’s going to be our voice.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D – New York, told reporters this week that House Democrats would likely sue if the governor does not call for a special election. Gov. Abbott is the only person who can call for the election and has no formal deadline to do so.
In a post to his X account on Friday, Rep. Jeffries said, “Donald Trump and House Republicans are running scared. That is why far-right extremists have conspired with the Texas Governor. And delayed calling a special election to fill the vacancy left by the passing of Rep. Sylvester Turner.”
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