Houston Democrats choose former Mayor Sylvester Turner

HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports that Harris County Democratic Party leaders on Tuesday night selected former Mayor Sylvester Turner to run on the November ballot for the heavily Democratic 18th Congressional District, following the death of U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. With no time to hold a new primary election, over 80 precinct chairs from the district were tasked with selecting a new nominee on voters’ behalf. On Tuesday evening, hundreds of attendees gathered at the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church’s Community Life Center for the nomination meeting. After a three-minute pitch from each of the six contenders, 79 precinct chairs cast their first round of votes. Turner and Former Council Member Amanda Edwards received 35 and 34, respectively. With no candidate winning a majority outright, the top two entered a second round of voting, where precinct chairs stood on two sides of the meeting hall to indicate support for their preferred candidate. Turner prevailed with 41 votes.

Jackson Lee died last month after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, touching off a fierce but brief battle to win over precinct chairs and replace the long-serving congresswoman on the ballot. A longtime friend and close ally of Jackson Lee, Turner had received the endorsement of the late congresswoman’s family. He insisted no one could replace what the late congresswoman bought to the district. He said Tuesday that if elected, he would continue to advance causes championed by his predecessor, including combating violence against women and pushing for police reforms. “You can’t replace her, but you can certainly serve and honor her, and that is what I intend to do,” he said after being declared the winner. Several other contenders had tried to appeal to party leaders as a younger, fresher voice in contrast to the 69-year-old former mayor. Edwards, who unsuccessfully challenged Jackson Lee in the March primary, repeatedly referenced President Joe Biden’s decision to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, arguing that residents in the 18th Congressional District are also ready to elevate new voices. “I believe our community is, in fact, at a crossroads, and we’ve got one of two choices that we can make. We can either stay where we are, or we can choose to build upon where we are, build upon the congresswoman’s legacy in a way that is forward, innovative,” Edwards said Tuesday evening ahead of the vote. “We need a leader who will build on the promises today but also help pass the baton for the future.”