Texas voters are casting ballots in a special election for the next representative of the state's 18th Congressional District. CBS News reporter Shawna Mizelle has the latest from Houston.

Houston

Texas voters in Houston are participating in a special election to fill the 18th congressional district seat, which has been vacant following the deaths of its two most recent representatives in the past year. Sixteen candidates are competing for the position, with the district traditionally favoring Democratic candidates.

Voters have expressed concerns about the ongoing government shutdown and redistricting, and are seeking a candidate who can challenge the Republican Party and address local issues. Notable candidates include Harris County District Attorney Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards, both of whom have emphasized bipartisan cooperation and effective representation.

Texas holds special election for 18th Congressional District

Welcome back to CBS News 24-7. This is something Texas voters know a lot about. On the ballot, a special election to fill Houston's open seat for its 18th congressional district. A whopping 16 candidates vying for that seat, favored for a Democrat to take. This is, by the way, the second special election for that seat within a year after its two representatives died in March and November of last year. Lot to break down here, lot of candidates to talk about. CBS News reporter Shauna Mizell is live in Houston with the voice of the voter. So, Shauna, how confident are the candidates that they've captured the voters' favor today and what are voters saying? Hey, Reid, it's great to be with you and that's a really good question. Now, a lot of the voters that I spoke with here in Houston, Texas this morning said that they are looking for a candidate that can take on Donald Trump and the Republican Party. A lot of them expressed disdain with this government shutdown that continues to go on with no end date in sight. As for those candidates, they are also really confident. They say that they have the power to do just what those Texas voters need. And as you mentioned, the previous people that filled this seat both passed away and so voters here have gone a long time without congressional representation. Let's take a listen to what Christian Menefee, he is the Harris County District Attorney and he's also a top candidate for this seat. I spoke with him earlier today. Let's take a listen to what he had to say. What folks wanna see is someone who's intelligent enough, who's thoughtful enough to use the tools at your disposal to do what the day calls for. Some days that's going to be fight. That means that when the president spends funds illegally, serving on the oversight committee and investigating him. That means that if articles of impeachment are filed, ensuring that we have vigorous advocates who are gonna hold the president accountable. But it also means working across the aisle when there are opportunities to. I don't care if you're blue, red or orange. If you wanna work with me to help bring resources to the 18th congressional district, I'm happy to do that. And I've done that time and time again here as Harris County Attorney. When cigarette companies were getting our kids hooked on vaping products here in Harris County, I teamed up with the Republican Attorney General of the state of Texas to go after those companies to ensure that we had real recourse here in our communities. I have no problem working with anybody. And so I think the job of a member of Congress is to use the tools that are necessary for the day. Some days that's throwing a punch, some days that's working across the aisle. And there you just heard from Christian Menefee, but I also spoke with another top candidate, Amanda Edwards, and she's just as enthusiastic and confident. But as you mentioned, there is a lot of candidates, 16 to be exact, so this should certainly be an interesting race. Well, and something else that comes to my mind, Sean, is that this is the second time this seat became vacant in less than a year. So does that drive voter turnout or the opposite? Well, you know, that remains to be seen, but you know, voter turnout is typically generally low when it comes to these off-cycle elections. However, some of these Democratic voters, especially in the Houston area and in District 18, are upset about redistricting. They are upset about that government shutdown, and they know that this seat is known for producing Black prominent political leaders that have really gone to bat for civil rights, like Sheila Jackson Lee and Barbara Jordan. All right, Shauna Mizell in Houston, Texas. Thank you so much.

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