Election 2024: Races to watch in Houston, Southeast Texas
HOUSTON - Election Day 2024 is quickly approaching and FOX 26 is your go-to source for everything happening ahead of and on Nov. 5.
Numerous races across the Houston-area, state, and country will shape the future of the country.
Here are the races that we’ll be keeping a close eye on for Election Day:
U.S. Senate - Ted Cruz (R), Colin Allred (D)
Ted Cruz and Colin Allred are locked in a tight race to represent Texas in the United States Senate.
Polls show Allred and Cruz are only separated by a few points.
Ted Cruz is looking for a third term in the United States Senate. Cruz has represented Texas in Washington since 2013.
Before becoming a Senator, Cruz served as a policy advisor for then-governor George W. Bush, an associate deputy attorney general in the Department of Justice and worked as the Texas Solicitor General.
During his time as Solicitor General, Cruz argued on behalf of the state in front of the Supreme Court.
Cruz ran for president in 2016 and won primaries in 11 states. He dropped out of the race after it became clear Donald Trump would be the Republican nominee.
Meanwhile, Allred has served as a Congressman for the Dallas area since 2019.
Allred defeated Pete Sessions to win the seat in Texas' 32nd congressional district.
The seat had been held by Sessions, a Republican, since its creation in 2004.
Allred has also worked as a civil rights attorney and in the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama administration.
Before that, Allred was a football player. He played linebacker at Dallas ISD's Hillcrest High School, Baylor University and sparingly with the Tennessee Titans for four seasons.
For a list of where the candidates stand on issues, click here.
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U.S. Representative District 18 General Election & Special Election
The race for U.S. Representative District 18 has received increased attention over the past several months following the passing of former United States Representative Sheila Jackson Lee.
This race will feature both a special election as well as a general election, both taking place on Election Day.
United States Representative, District 18, Unexpired Term - Maria Dunn (R), Kevin O. Dural (R), Erica Lee Carter (D)
Following Sheila Jackson Lee’s passing, Texas Governor Greg Abbott called for a special election to fill her empty seat until the current term is over.
In that race, Erica Lee Carter, the daughter of Sheila Jackson Lee, filed her candidacy to finish Jackson Lee’s current term as the Democratic candidate.
In a statement to FOX 26, following the passing of her mother, Carter said, "I want to finish for my mom!"
Her opponents include Republican Candidates Maria Dunn and Kevin Dural.
According to her campaign website, Dunn spent 27 years at energy companies solving complex legal and business challenges, developing strategies to drive growth and innovation, and being a sustainability leader.
Dural’s campaign website stated that Dural is a 25-year-old M.B.A. graduate with a diverse background in political, business, and scientific research. He is driven to continue making impactful contributions for Texans through business and policy initiatives. As a partner at Blue Group International, he plays a crucial role alongside other leaders in proposing, securing, and developing infrastructure projects, including railroads and recycling facilities, through consortiums and public-private partnerships.
United States Representative, District 18 - Lana Centonze (R), Sylvester Turner (D)
A general election will also be held to determine who will be the next candidate to fill the seat for District 18.
Numerous candidates, including former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Amanda Edwards, and several other candidates. FOX 26 also hosted a candidate forum with the candidates prior to a special meeting that was held by all the Harris County Precinct Chairs to approve a new candidate, as Sheila Jackson Lee had already been chosen in the March primaries.
During that meeting, during the initial vote, Turner tied with Amanda Edwards for the votes on Tuesday evening, leading to a runoff. After a second voting process, Turner received the majority votes.
Turner will face off against the Republican candidate Lana Centonze, who says she is fighting for causes including upgrading infrastructure, securing the border, protecting family unit, human trafficking, thriving economy, and term limits.
Houston Independent School District School Bond
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2024 Election: What Houston ISD's $4.4B bond package would pay for
The Houston Independent School District is asking voters to approve the largest school bond in Texas history. Here's what the $4.4 billion package would pay for.
Another race that will be on the minds of numerous voters in the Houston area is the $4.4 billion school bond for the Houston Independent School District.
The district, which received a lot of state attention following the state takeover of the district by the Texas Education Agency, drew much criticism by parents and residents following the announcement. The appointment of the current Superintendent, Mike Miles, also drew criticism of TEA Commissioner Mike Miles.
The measure has also drawn much attention as some have continued their stand of "No Trust, No Bond" regarding the measure.
This would be the district’s first bond measure since 2012 when it served over 203,000 students. According to the district, the proposed funds would be allocated as follows:
- $2.29 billion for rebuilding campuses,
- $1.04 billion for safety and security upgrades, and
- $1.07 billion for technology upgrades, pre-K expansion, and career training programs.
If approved, it would be the largest bond measure in Texas history for the state’s largest school district, which serves over 183,000 students.
Harris County District Attorney - Sean Teare vs. Dan Simons
The race to determine who will be the next District Attorney of Harris County will also be a race we’re closely watching.
This comes as the current Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg lost in a primary election to Sean Teare, who was a prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for 11 years, including six years as the Division Supervisor of the Office’s Vehicular Crimes Division.
Teare, who is the Democratic candidate, will be facing off against Dan Simons, the Republican candidate for the position.
Simons says he’s running for the position saying he’s committed to public safety accountability, being committed to protecting the vulnerable, and committing to serving citizens.
Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner - Taral Patel vs. Andy Meyers
The race between Taral Patal and Andy Meyers is one we’ll be watching following the recent allegations involving Patel who is facing four felony indictments.
As FOX 26 has reported, Patel, who is the Democratic nominee for Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner, was indicted for impersonating people online to threaten others.
According to court documents, Patel created Facebook accounts impersonating other people with the intent to harm, defraud, intimidate, or threaten others.
Court documents stated Patel would post these comments under fake names such as "Antonio Scalywag", "Jennifer Tremaine", and "Jane Donnie".
Under the pseudonym "Antonio Scalywag", Patel is accused of posting racist comments related to Fort Bend County Commissioner of Precinct 3, Andy Meyers. Documents state Patel posted a press release on Sept. 18, 2023, showing a collage of "racist" social media posts. One of the comments in the post read, "I am with Meyers ALL THE WAY. . .unlike Patel and his followers who worship Monkey and Elephant."
Court records also revealed the profile picture uploaded to the "Antonio Scalywag" account was posted from the IP address matching the residence of Patel from Virginia. The email address from the account was also linked back to Patel.
The story has taken a shocking turn as Fort Bend County Judge KP George is also linked to the incident involving Patel. George was recently arrested and charged with a misdemeanor before being released on bond. The investigation into the incidents for Patel and George are ongoing.
Andy Meyers, the Republican candidate running against Patel, currently serves as the Precinct 3 Commissioner in Fort Bend County. Meyers has been serving as County Commissioner since January 1997.
Texas Supreme Court Seats
There are three seats on the Texas Supreme Court that are up for re-election in November. The Texas Supreme Court has been reliably Republican in the past, but Democrats are putting up challengers in each of this year's three races.
Left-leaning political action committees are attempting to use recent abortion rulings by the court as a possible wedge issue to push democratic candidates over the top.
Place 2 - Jimmy Blacklock (R), DaSean Jones (D)
Republican Jimmy Blacklock was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court in 2018 by Governor Greg Abbott.
He is facing a challenge from Democrat DaSean Jones, who is currently a judge in Texas' 180th District Court in Houston.
Place 4 - John Devine (R), Christine Weems (D)
Republican John Devine served on the Texas Supreme Court in November 2012. Before that, he served as a judge in Harris County in the 190th State District Court.
Democrat Christine Vinh Weems currently serves on the 281st Civil District Court in Harris County. Weems granted a temporary restraining order in a case that allowed abortions in Texas to continue before it was stayed by the state Supreme Court.
Place 6 - Jane Bland (R), Bonnie Lee Goldstein (D), David Roberson (L)
Republican Justice Jane Bland has served on the Texas Supreme Court since 2019. Before that, she served 15 years as a justice on the First Court of Appeals and six years as a State District Judge.
Democrat Bonnie Goldstein currently serves on the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas.
Davod Roberson is a defense litigation & tax attorney, and certified third-party neutral (mediator).
Education Savings Accounts
One of the biggest hot button issues in Texas politics has been education savings accounts, which are similar to, but not the same as, school vouchers.
Education savings accounts are essentially taxpayer-supported bank accounts for parents who remove their children from the public education system. Those parents get state money up front to pay for their educational expenses, like private school tuition, online schooling or private tutors. In most cases, the state manages these accounts.
In November 2023, rural Republicans sided with Democrats to remove the education savings accounts from a larger education bill.
Governor Greg Abbott actively campaigned against Republicans who opposed education savings accounts in the Republican primaries.
Abbott says he believes the bill now has enough support to pass education savings accounts in Texas' next legislative session.
November's election will give us a better indication of what to expect when the session begins in January 2025.
County Election Information
If you have questions about your ballot, voting locations, or anything else, ask your county election office.
Austin County | Brazoria County | Chambers County | Fort Bend County | Harris County | Liberty County | Montgomery County | Waller County |
If you have more questions about the voting process, you can find more information here.