Gov. Greg Abbott ’s (R-TX) office issued a proclamation Friday, setting Nov. 5 as the date for the special election to replace the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).
The winner of the special election will carry out the remainder of Jackson Lee’s term, not even two months, in the House of Representatives . On the same day, voters will elect the president, senators, and representatives, including Jackson Lee’s full-time replacement, who will begin a two-year term on Jan. 3, 2025.
In his proclamation, Abbott wrote that candidates must file for the race by 6 p.m. on Aug. 22. Several candidates have put their names in the running already, notably including former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and former Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards.
Turner finished his second term as Houston mayor earlier this year. Jackson Lee ran to replace him but lost that race to John Whitmire before she won the Democratic primary in Texas’s 18th Congressional District for the 16th straight time.