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2024 Texas Elections

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee wins Democratic primary

Sheila Jackson Lee defeated Amanda Edwards in the most competitive primary of her congressional career.

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U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee hugs a friend at her victory party on March 5, 2024, in Houston.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee hugs a friend at her watch party on March 5, 2024, in Houston. Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune

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WASHINGTON —U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, defeated former City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards on Tuesday in what was the most competitive Democratic primary of her congressional career.

The AP called the race for her after midnight.

“We got this election by going to one voter at a time, one neighborhood at a time,” Jackson Lee said to a crowd of supporters Tuesday night. “I didn't take one race as the end of Sheila Jackson Lee. I didn't even get angry. Because I love the people of Houston and the people of the 18th congressional district. I got busy to be able to continue to work for them.”

Jackson Lee had defeated her previous four primary challengers by landslide margins over the course of her 30 tenure in Congress. But, after an unsuccessful pivot to the Houston mayor’s office this past fall, when her campaign was marred with negative media after audio of her berating her congressional staffers was leaked, she promptly announced her candidacy for reelection to the U.S. House.

By the time Jackson Lee announced she was running for her House seat again, challenger Amanda Edwards – a former Jackson Lee intern – was already making headway.

Edwards is a native Houstonian, and she served as an at-large Houston City Council member from 2016 to 2020, where she represented a constituency of more than 2 million people. In 2020, she had her first foray into state politics when she joined a crowded Democratic primary field, vying to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. Edwards came in fifth place in the statewide primary and third in Harris County. Edwards initially ran for Houston mayor until Jackson Lee threw her hat in the ring, causing Edwards to endorse the congresswoman as mayor and begin her own campaign for Congress.

In the fourth quarter of last year, Edwards outraised the congresswoman 10 to 1 — $272,000 to Jackson Lee’s $23,000. By the time early voting began, Edwards was trailing Jackson Lee by a narrow 5-point margin 43% to 38%, according to a survey of likely Democratic primary election voters by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston.

“And let me say this, they said we were down,” Jackson Lee said. “They said it would be a close race, but look what the people of the 18th congressional district said. They said we are worthy, we are worthy.”

Edwards has drawn endorsements from organizations that previously supported Jackson Lee, some of whom like the Harris County chapter president of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats were still “quite upset” over the comments made in the leaked tape. On the recording Jackson Lee berates a staffer for not having a document she was looking for and calls two of her staffers “Goddamn big-ass children, fuckin’ idiots who serve no Goddamn purpose.”

Jackson Lee has a long list of powerful endorsements from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, to House Democratic leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Minority Whip Katherine Clarke. She’s backed by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and other members of Texas’ Washington delegation including Democratic Reps. Lizzie Fletcher of Houston, Lloyd Doggett of Austin, Henry Cuellar of Laredo and Joaquin Castro of San Antonio.

Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections

  • When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?

    Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.

  • What’s on the ballot for the general election?

    In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
    This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
    -1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
    - 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
    - 15 State Senators
    - 7 State Board of Education members
    - 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
    - 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
    - 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals

    Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
    - Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
    - County Courts at Law
    - Justices of the Peace
    - District Attorneys
    - County Attorneys
    - Sheriffs
    - Constables
    - Tax Assessor-Collectors

  • How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?

    You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.

  • What if I missed the voter registration deadline?

    You must be registered to vote in a Texas county by Oct. 7 to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential election. You can still register for other elections.
    If you’re registered but didn’t update your address by the deadline, you may still be able to vote at your previous voting location or on a limited ballot. (Voters are typically assigned precincts based on where they live. In most major counties, voters can vote anywhere on Election Day, but some counties require you vote within your precinct. If that is the case, you may have to return to your previous precinct. See which counties allow countywide Election Day voting here. You can usually find your precinct listed on your voter registration certificate or on when checking your registration online.)
    If you moved from one county to another, you may be able to vote on a ballot limited to the elections you would qualify to vote in at both locations, such as statewide races. However, limited ballots are only available during early voting. Find your county election official here and contact them to ask about or request a limited ballot.

  • What can I do if I have questions about voting?

    You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State's helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition also has hotlines available for voters who speaker other languages or have accessibility needs.
    For help in Spanish, call 888-VE-Y-VOTA or 888-839-8682.
    For help in Asian languages, call 888-API-VOTE or 888-274-8683.
    For help in Arabic, call 888-YALLA-US or 888-925-5287.
    For help in American Sign Language through a video, call 301-818-VOTE or 301-818-8683.
    For help from Disability Rights Texas, call 888-796-VOTE or 888-796-8683.

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Congress Politics Sheila Jackson Lee