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.

March 6, 202412 AM Central

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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.
How do I register to vote if I haven’t?

You can request a postage-paid application through the mail or find one at county voter registrars’ offices and some post offices, government offices, or high schools. You can also print out the online application and mail it to the voter registrar in your county.
Applications must be postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline. Download your application here.
Additionally, you can register to vote through the Texas Department of Public Safety while renewing your driver’s license. You may be able to register to vote online if you’re also allowed to renew your license online. This is the only form of online registration in the state.
After you register to vote, you will receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. It’ll contain your voter information, including the Voter Unique Identifier number needed to update your voter registration online. If the certificate has incorrect information, you’ll need to note corrections and send it to your local voter registrar as soon as possible.
The voter registration certificate can also be used as a secondary form of ID when you vote if you don’t have one of the seven state-approved photo IDs
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 has hotlines available in other languages. Disability Rights Texas also assists voters with disabilities.
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Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections

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

What’s on the ballot for the general election?

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

How do I register to vote if I haven’t?

What can I do if I have questions about voting?

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Sejal Govindarao

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