Texas Governor Sets Nov. 4 Special Election for Vacant House Seat

Gov. Greg Abbott cites election integrity concerns in Harris County; Democrats say the delayed special election leaves residents without representation.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner speaks at a National Urban League event in Houston on July 28, 2023. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on April 7 set the special election date for Texas’s 18th Congressional District as Nov. 4.

The seat was left vacant on March 5 after the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner, the former Houston mayor who had only recently taken office after a decades-long career in state and local politics. His family said Turner, 70, died due to ongoing health complications.