It’s 2026! The year of the midterm elections has finally come. This year is finally the opportunity for Democrats to retake the House of Representatives, considering that the GOP has a very, very slim majority. The special election for Texas’s 18th Congressional District will finally fill a safe Democratic seat that has been vacant since the death of Sylvester Turner on the night of Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, almost one year ago, shrinking the GOP’s majority even more.

Today we are highlighting Amanda Edwards (she/her), a former member of the Houston City Council. Endorsed by EMILY’S List, Amanda is focused on rolling back Trump’s cuts to federal assistance programs, including SNAP, FEMA, Meals on Wheels, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, that affect the constituents in TX-18. Amanda is particularly passionate about supporting equitable health outcomes, having served on a steering committee to address the issue on black maternal deaths among other issues, and being an active proponent of funding measures like the Momnibus Bill to reduce the black maternal death disparities we face.

This election is being held on January 31, 2026.

Where are you based?
I am based in Houston, Texas.

What position are you running for?
I am a former At-Large Houston City Council Member running in a Special Election runoff to be the next Congresswoman for the 18th Congressional District. This seat was once held by Barbara Jordan, Mickey Leland, Craig Washington, Sheila Jackson Lee and Sylvester Turner, and has remained vacant due to the passing of Sylvester Turner and the Governor's delay in calling the Special Election and Special Election runoff dates.

How would you briefly summarize your platform?
My priority is to create an 18th Congressional District where everyone in it (no matter their background or where they live) can thrive rather than just get by day to day. I will focus on expanding access to affordable healthcare, creating economic opportunity and funding public education, among other priorities.

What inspired you to run?
I was born, raised and still live in the 18th Congressional District. What happens here is personal to me. When I was 10 years old, my dad was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and died from it when I was a teenager. I learned first hand that healthcare access is a matter of life or death for so many Americans and I am committed to creating systems that save lives rather than harm them. Public service has to be about placing people over politics because there are real lives that are hanging in the balance.

What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
Our community is deserving of transformative change that delivers real results that our community deserves. We are in the midst of an affordable housing crisis in Houston so I will help innovate our approach to federally funding for housing in order to reduce the disparities our community faces when seeking to access affordable housing. I plan to also fight to protect social security and fight to protect access to health care so that premiums and coverage are more affordable.

How long have you been in office? What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
I was first elected to City Council as an At-Large Houston City Council Member in 2015. I have been able to lead the City's efforts in tech and innovation that led to the creation of our Innovation District and increased venture capital investment in start ups by tenfold. I also led efforts to provide access to capital for small businesses owned by women and minorities. Finally, I led numerous disaster recovery efforts including mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to canvass the communities of the most vulnerable residents who were in need of full recovery support.

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
Access to affordable health care is a top priority. I will fight to expand access to affordable coverage for the ACA and to lower prescription drug costs. We will also need to fight to provide alternative support for those impacted by the $900 billion in Medicaid cuts stemming from the passage of The Big Beautiful Bill.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
Infrastructure investment and disaster recovery are the areas that serve as an opportunity to push for bipartisan support and improved outcomes for constituents. Instead of dismantling FEMA, we ought to make sure that it is overhauled to be more efficient and better trained to provide better outcomes for all those who need it. We should also retool how infrastructure dollars flow and increase investment in infrastructure that can prevent flooding. Finally, the disaster recovery system should be revamped to move dollars (with the accompanying policies) more quickly and directly to localities and individuals in need of support.

How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
I am not new to the 18th Congressional District. In fact, my family has been part of the fabric of this community for generations and I was born, raised and still live in the District. I know firsthand how important it is that we have someone from this community to work alongside it to build the community and outcomes we truly deserve. After graduating from Eisenhower High School in Aldine ISD and Emory University and before going to Harvard Law School, I worked in the Washington DC office of the 18th Congressional District so I understand the inner workings of the office and Congress. For years, I served as a public finance attorney bringing public dollars to public projects, which is an essential part of your work in Congress (bringing home resources). Finally, as an At-Large Houston City Council Member, I brought over a billion dollars in resources to our City, and know where the policy gaps are due to my work on the ground. I am the person who is most uniquely qualified and prepared for this role. I am ready on Day 1 to bring forward innovative solutions to the lingering challenges our community faces and to forge a bold vision and path for our future.

What is your motto in life?
Make the community you are in better than it was when you found it.

Where can we find out more about you?
Please follow my Facebook, TikTok & Instagram accounts - amandakedwardstx & my bluesky and X accounts at @akedwardstx

Our Favorite Candidates in 2026 - Amanda Edwards, Texas's 18th Congressional District