Published by TrenBuzz.com | May 27, 2026
Key Points at a Glance – Christian Menefee Landslides Al Green Out of Congress After 20 Years
- Christian Menefee defeated Al Green with 68.6% of votes in the Texas 18th District Democratic runoff.
- The race was forced by Republican redistricting that drew both incumbents into the same district.
- Green, 78, had served in Congress since 2005 and was known for his vocal Trump impeachment push.
- Menefee, 37, became the youngest and first Black Harris County attorney in 2020.
- A cryptocurrency-aligned super PAC spent over $5 million backing Menefee.
- Menefee will now face Republican Ronald Dwayne Whitfield in November in a district Kamala Harris won by 55 points.
One of Congress’s most recognizable Trump critics just lost his seat. Not to a Republican. Not to a scandal. But to a fellow Democrat half his age, in a race nobody asked for.
Freshman Rep. Christian Menefee defeated longtime Rep. Al Green in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas 18th Congressional District, after a rare incumbent-on-incumbent matchup sparked by Republican-led redistricting efforts.
Why These Two Were in the Same Race
Green has represented the 9th Congressional District since 2005. After Republicans pushed through partisan redistricting, it bumped him into the new 18th Congressional District, effectively forcing him to compete against Menefee for the same deep-blue Houston seat.
How Big Was Menefee’s Win
According to early voting results released by Harris County, Menefee received 70.4% of nearly 24,000 votes cast in early voting. The Associated Press called the race for Menefee at 7:33 p.m. with an estimated 61 percent of votes counted.
“Tonight belongs to the people of this district,” Menefee said in a statement. “You have shown up over and over, and every single time, you have chosen to fight for a better future for our communities.”
What This Means for the House
Menefee benefited from more than $5 million in outside spending from a super PAC aligned with cryptocurrency industry leaders called Protect Progress. Outgoing Rep. Jasmine Crockett appeared in ads supporting Menefee.
The seat stays solidly Democratic in November. But in Washington, a long chapter of Texas progressive politics just closed.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational and news reporting purposes only. All election results, quotes, and data are sourced from NBC News, Texas Tribune, Houston Public Media, Breitbart, and AP as of May 26, 2026. Results shown are unofficial pending certification. TrenBuzz.com does not endorse any political candidate or party. Readers are encouraged to follow official election authority sources for certified results.