HOUSTON – Democrats Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards advanced to a runoff Tuesday night in a special election for a U.S. House seat that has been vacant since March and will narrow the GOP’s slim majority once a winner is sworn in.

Neither Menefee, Harris County’s top civil attorney, nor Edwards, a former Houston City Council member, got more than 50% of the vote in a crowded field of 16 candidates, sending the race to a runoff expected early next year.

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The winner is to serve out the remaining term of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died two months after taking office representing the deep-blue 18th Congressional District.

Following Turner’s death, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott defended not holding a special election until November by arguing that Houston

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