August 13, 2024
Erica Lee Carter, Daughter Of Sheila Jackson Lee, Will Run For Her Vacant Seat In Special Election
Amanda Edwards, a former City Council member who mounted a spirited, but unsuccessful challenge to Jackson Lee's grip on the 18th Congressional District, told the Chronicle that she sees a parallel between this race and the choice of President Joe Biden to step aside for a younger, fresher voice to lead the Democratic Party.
Erica Lee Carter, daughter of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, announced her intention to finish the rest of her late mother’s term in office in an Aug. 12 press release. On Nov. 5, there will be a special election to choose a new representative to finish Jackson Lee’s term representing Houston’s 18th Congressional District.
According to ABC 13, Lee Carter and Jackson Lee’s family backed former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s bid to become the eventual successor to Jackson Lee’s seat earlier this month. However, Lee Carter’s bid does not necessarily contradict that endorsement, as Jackson Lee’s term ends almost two months after the special election.
According to the press release, Lee Carter responded to requests from various community members and leaders in Houston’s Democratic establishment to finish her mother’s term by agreeing to run for the special election.
“The people of the 18th Congressional District re-elected my mother to the 118th Congress to protect their interest and uphold our democratic values. Congresswoman Jackson Lee kept their interests in her heart and mind until the very end. Since then, many community leaders and democratic stalwarts have requested that I consider completing her term this year by running in the November 5th Special Election. After careful consideration, the answer is YES.” Jackson Carter wrote.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the constituency of the 18th Congressional District has changed over the last 20 years, morphing from a majority Black district to a district where no one ethnicity holds a clear majority. Nancy Sims, a political consultant and lecturer at the University of Houston, told the outlet that the influx of more Latinx and Asian residents will likely shift the balance of power.
“The demographics are going to continue to change in that district, and then in 2030, we face redistricting again. Since the whole region is changing so drastically if you get someone elected now, they may be able to protect that seat, or it may change entirely.”
Amanda Edwards, a former City Council member who mounted a spirited but unsuccessful challenge to Jackson Lee’s grip on the 18th Congressional District, told the Chronicle that she sees a parallel between this race and the choice of President Joe Biden to step aside for a younger, fresher voice to lead the Democratic Party.
“When we saw President Biden step aside, within less than a day, we saw just an extreme level of enthusiasm, support and engagement happening for Vice President Kamala Harris. The precinct chairs are aware of the moment that we’re standing in…they’ve been a witness to that.” Edwards said.
Sims agrees but sees the situation playing out differently because this is not a general election.
“It’s a very similar situation,” Sims told the Chronicle. “If this were a general election, it would be different, but this is a game among deeply rooted partisans, and so I think the person with the deepest rooted Democratic ties is going to have the greatest opportunity.”
Texas Rep. Jarvis Johnson, whose district overlaps with the 18th Congressional District, believes that although the endorsement of the Jackson Lee family is significant, the result of the election is not necessarily a foregone conclusion.
“The 18th is not a monarchy. It’s a democracy,” Johnson told the paper. “While their choice is respected, I believe the voters have a different opinion from that of the Lee family. The voters are looking for a younger, energetic candidate that will have a plan to move the 18th forward and commit to years of service.”
Turner, meanwhile, believes that his experience representing all corners of Houston, a global city, makes him uniquely qualified among the 17 candidates vying for Jackson Lee’s vacant seat in Congress.
“When I was inaugurated as mayor, I said, ‘It matters not whether you are a Democrat or Republican or whether you’re Black, brown, white or Asian … What matters to me is that we are all Houston,’” Turner told the Chronicle. “That was my philosophy as mayor, and it will remain my philosophy as a member of Congress.”
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