Did Al Green Lose His Primary as Christian Menefee Leads Early Voting in TX-18
did al green lose his primary is the question many voters asked after early voting returns in the redrawn 18th Congressional District showed Rep. Christian Menefee ahead of Rep. Al Green, with final tallies still pending and a runoff possible if no candidate reaches 50 percent.
Did Al Green Lose His Primary? Early returns show Menefee ahead
Early voting results released by the Harris County Clerk’s Office showed Menefee with 48. 75 percent of the early vote and Green with 43. 13 percent, leaving the outcome unsettled because Election Day returns were still being counted.
Menefee, 37, had stronger early totals inside Harris County, where he received 54. 69 percent and Green received 36. 79 percent. In Fort Bend County, which includes part of the 18th District, Green led early voting with 61. 9 percent to Menefee’s 31. 08 percent. The district is reliably Democratic, so whoever wins the primary is expected to win the general election.
How early votes broke down across Harris and Fort Bend counties
The early vote split highlights the geographic tug-of-war in the newly configured district. Much of the former 9th Congressional District, represented by Green for two decades, was folded into the 18th, and Green shifted his reelection bid to the redrawn seat.
Menefee had been sworn in as the 18th District’s representative after winning a special election on Jan. 31. That special election was a distinct contest from the primary, with a different electorate and timing; Menefee took office in February following that victory.
Redistricting forced two incumbents into one primary
The matchup between Menefee and Green is a direct result of redistricting that folded parts of Green’s old 9th District into the 18th and set up a primary between two sitting members of Congress. A federal court initially found the map to be an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, but the Supreme Court temporarily allowed Texas to use the new map for the 2026 elections.
Green has been a House member since 2005 and is a 20-year veteran of Congress; Menefee is the former Harris County attorney who won the recent special election to fill the seat left vacant after Representative Sylvester Turner’s death. With neither candidate having an outright majority in early returns, the contest could still head to a runoff: if no candidate clears 50 percent in the primary, the top two finishers advance to a runoff.
did al green lose his primary remains unresolved until final Election Day returns are certified and county totals are complete. Officials will continue counting ballots and post final results as they are certified; if no one clears the 50 percent threshold, a runoff will be scheduled between the top two finishers.
The next confirmed milestone is the completion and certification of county returns and any runoff scheduling if required under the rule that a primary winner must clear 50 percent to avoid a runoff.
