# Texas's 18th congressional district

Texas's 18th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives includes much of inner city Houston and the surrounding area. It has been the Downtown Houston district since 1972. The district seat is currently vacant, but it was previously represented by Democrat Sylvester Turner before his death.
The district was first represented by Barbara Jordan, the first black woman elected to Congress from the South, who was praised by many for her powerful presence and oratorical skills. The district was represented by Sheila Jackson Lee from 1995 until her death in 2024, when the seat became vacant. Her daughter, Erica Lee Carter succeeded her for the unexpired term. Former Houston mayor Sylvester Turner would then succeed Carter before his death on March 5, 2025.
Since the district was moved to Houston in 1972, it has voted for a Democrat in every presidential election. The district gave George McGovern 69% in 1972 and Walter Mondale 72% in 1984.

## Recent election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | Obama 73% - 26% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 73% - 27% |
| 2014 | Senate | Alameel 70% - 30% |
| 2014 | Governor | Davis 73% - 27% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 74% - 22% |
| 2018 | Senate | O'Rourke 77% - 22% |
| 2018 | Governor | Valdez 71% - 27% |
| 2018 | Lt. Governor | Collier 75% - 24% |
| 2018 | Attorney General | Nelson 75% - 23% |
| 2020 | President | Biden 74% - 25% |
| 2020 | Senate | Hegar 71% - 27% |
| 2022 | Governor | O'Rourke 73% - 25% |
| 2022 | Lt. Governor | Collier 72% - 25% |
| 2022 | Attorney General | Mercedes Garza 72% - 25% |
| 2022 | Comptroller of Public Accounts | Dudding 70% - 27% |
| 2024 | President | Harris 69% - 29% |
| 2024 | Senate | Allred 71% - 26% |

## Composition

For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:
Harris County (4)
    Atascocita (part; also 2nd), Houston (part; also 2nd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 22nd, 29th, 36th, 38th; shared with Fort Bend and Montgomery counties), Humble (part; also 2nd and 29th), Jacinto City (part; also 29th and 36th)

## List of members representing the district

| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history |
| District established March 4, 1919 |||||
| J. Marvin Jones (Amarillo) | Democratic | March 4, 1919 – November 20, 1940 | 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th | Redistricted from the 13th district and re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Resigned to become judge of the U.S. Court of Claims. |
| Vacant | Vacant | November 20, 1940 – January 3, 1941 | 76th | |
| Eugene Worley (Shamrock) | Democratic | January 3, 1941 – April 3, 1950 | 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st | Elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Resigned to become judge of the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals |
| Vacant | Vacant | April 3, 1950 – May 6, 1950 | 81st | |
| Ben H. Guill (Pampa) | Republican | May 6, 1950 – January 3, 1951 | 81st | Elected to finish Worley's term. Lost re-election. |
| Walter E. Rogers (Pampa) | Democratic | January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1967 | 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th | Elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Retired. |
| Bob Price (Pampa) | Republican | January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1973 | 90th 91st 92nd | Elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Redistricted to the 13th district. |
| Barbara Jordan (Houston) | Democratic | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979 | 93rd 94th 95th | Elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Retired. |
| Mickey Leland (Houston) | Democratic | January 3, 1979 – August 7, 1989 | 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st | Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Died. |
| Vacant | Vacant | August 7, 1989 – December 9, 1989 | 101st | |
| Craig Washington (Houston) | Democratic | December 9, 1989 – January 3, 1995 | 101st 102nd 103rd | Elected to finish Leland's term. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Lost renomination. |
| Sheila Jackson Lee (Houston) | Democratic | January 3, 1995 – July 19, 2024 | 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th | Elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Died. |
| Vacant | Vacant | July 19, 2024 – November 12, 2024 | 118th | |
| Erica Lee Carter (Houston) | Democratic | November 12, 2024 – January 3, 2025 | 118th | Elected to finish her mother's term. Did not seek election to a full term. |
| Sylvester Turner (Houston) | Democratic | January 3, 2025 – March 5, 2025 | 119th | Elected in 2024. Died. |
| Vacant | Vacant | March 5, 2025 – present | 119th | |

## Recent election results

2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas: District 18 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sheila Jackson Lee (incumbent) | 148,617 | 77.32 |
| | Republican | John Faulk | 39,095 | 20.34 |
| | Libertarian | Mike Taylor | 4,486 | 2.33 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 109,522 | 56.98 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 192,295 | 82.5 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas: District 18 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sheila Jackson Lee (incumbent) | 85,108 | 70.15 |
| | Republican | John Faulk | 33,067 | 27.26 |
| | Libertarian | Mike Taylor | 3,118 | 2.57 |
| | Independent | Charles B. Meyer (Write-in) | 28 | 0.02 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 52,041 | 42.89 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 125,968 | 36.73 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas: District 18 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sheila Jackson Lee (incumbent) | 146,223 | 75.01 |
| | Republican | Sean Seibert | 44,015 | 22.58 |
| | Libertarian | Christopher Barber | 4,694 | 2.41 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 102,208 | 52.43 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 194,932 | 58.79 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas: District 18 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sheila Jackson Lee (incumbent) | 76,097 | 71.78 |
| | Republican | Sean Seibert | 26,249 | 24.76 |
| | Green | Remington Alessi | 1,302 | 1.23 |
| | Independent | Vince Duncan | 2,376 | 2.23 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 49,848 | 47.02 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 106,010 | 30.60 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas: District 18 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sheila Jackson Lee (incumbent) | 150,157 | 73.50 |
| | Republican | Lori Bartley | 48,306 | 23.64 |
| | Green | Thomas Kleven | 5,845 | 2.86 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 101,851 | 49.85 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 204,308 | 55.96 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas: District 18 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sheila Jackson Lee (Incumbent) | 138,704 | 75.3 |
| | Republican | Ava Reynero Pate | 38,368 | 20.8 |
| | Libertarian | Luke Spencer | 4,067 | 2.2 |
| | Independent | Vince Duncan | 3,193 | 1.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 184,332 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas: District 18 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sheila Jackson Lee (incumbent) | 180,952 | 73.3 |
| | Republican | Wendell Champion | 58,033 | 23.5 |
| | Libertarian | Luke Spencer | 4,514 | 1.8 |
| | Independent | Vince Duncan | 3,396 | 1.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 246,895 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas: District 18 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sheila Jackson Lee (incumbent) | 110,511 | 70.7 |
| | Republican | Carmen Maria Montiel | 40,941 | 26.2 |
| | Independent | Vince Duncan | 2,766 | 1.7 |
| | Libertarian | Phil Kurtz | 2,050 | 1.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 156,268 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2024 Texas's 18th congressional district special election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Erica Lee Carter | 146,413 | 67.94 |
| | Republican | Maria Dunn | 47,835 | 22.20 |
| | Republican | Kevin Dural | 21,257 | 9.86 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 215,505 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
2024 Texas's 18th congressional district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Sylvester Turner | 151,834 | 69.4 |
| | Republican | Lana Centonze | 66,810 | 30.6 |
| | Write-in | Vince Duncan | 62 | 0.03 |
| | Write-in | Kevin Dural | 14 | 0.01 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 218,720 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

## In popular culture

In the TV series The West Wing, Texas's 18th congressional district was represented by fictional Democratic presidential candidate Matt Santos.