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.

Menefee’s resignation was triggered by the Texas Constitution, which bars local officials from seeking an office other than the one they hold.

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee files to run for Sylvester Turner's seat in Congress. Erica Lee Carter, former Congresswoman and daughter of the late Sheila Jackson Lee, endorsed Menefee in a social media post.