House seat is shaping up to be a competitive one, with two Democrats already throwing their hats in even though the date of the special election has yet to be called. Turner, who survived a battle with bone cancer in 2022,

The former Houston mayor’s funeral drew more than 1,000 mourners on Saturday, including 20 of his congressional colleagues from both political parties.

On Saturday, late Houston mayor and congressman Sylvester Turner was laid to rest during services at the Church Without Walls.

The district has been a Democratic stronghold, held for decades by Sheila Jackson Lee and most recently by former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who died March 5.

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee’s decision to announce his candidacy for the vacant Congressional District 18 seat automatically triggered his resignation, and local Republicans already are campaigning for the candidate he beat last November to take over his job.