Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sets special election to fill the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's seat

Gov. Greg Abbott fixed the special election to the seat left out by the demise of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, of the Democratic party, for November 5, 2024 and that will coincide with the general election. 
 
The special election will only be deciding who will complete the remainder of Jackson Lee’s term, up until January. Conversely, the general election on the same day will decide who next takes an oath of office first in January next year and then in January 2027. 
 
And, as before, there will be no more primary for the general election because Jackson Lee bagged that in March. However, the 88 Democratic precinct chairs of the district will convene a later date this month to choose a party nominee in the general election. 
 
On the same day as Abbott’s announcement, former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and former City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards, declared that they would both enter the packed race for the state’s 18 th Congressional District succeeding Jackson Lee. 
 
Edwards did launch a primary challenge against Jackson Lee earlier this year which Jackson Lee defeated by over 20 percentage points in march. 
 
To express her appreciation for the effort made by the deceased Congresswoman, Edwards released a statement on Friday, wherein she noted that the fight is not over however long it will take and that is exactly the kind of Congresswoman that she will be to the people. 
 
Later on Friday, Turner referred to Jackson Lee in his statement as his ‘’dear friend’’, and said we need to determine who among us will take her place, since we have lost her’. 
 
“I wake up every morning eager to go to work not only to continue the Congresswoman’s work and to extend her legacy to continue but to build a prosperous 18th District in the next chapter of history,” he said in the statement. 
 
Any other candidates interested in vying for the seat in the special election must file their papers latest by August 22, the governor’s proclamation stated. 
 
On Wednesday, eulogies and tributes with the presence of the Vice President Kamala Harris in Houston for memorial service of the deceased Jackson Lee. The congresswoman was an African-American woman who passed on July 19 due to cancer illness. 
 
This was the end of term representation for Jackson Lee who had been in the House since 1995.