Tuesday’s runoff primary elections left many voters with mixed feelings, with some celebrating a win and others mourning a loss — but this year looked a bit different for the state’s Democratic representatives.
Last July, lawmakers met for a rare mid-century redistricting session to redraw Texas’s congressional map after the Department of Justice flagged four majority-minority districts for racially gerrymandering. In December, the Supreme Court ruled the new map could be used for the 2026 elections, and since then, several other states have initiated similar controversial redrawings.
The new map turned several swing districts that had been politically divided into predominantly Republican-leaning areas, while concentrating Democratic voters in other districts. For the recent runoff, this meant several Democratic representatives could run for reelection in now-Republican-majority districts or choose to run for another district entirely.
One of them was Representative Julie Johnson (D-TX), who lost to former Rep. Collin Allred (D-TX).
In 2024, Rep. Johnson became the first openly LGBTQ person elected to Congress from the South. In less than two years, she helped pass legislation addressing health care, affordability and voting rights, and secured millions in federal funding to rebuild roads, expand access to health care and education and invest in workforce training for Texans.
“And that work is not finished,” she said. “In my remaining months in office, I will keep my foot on the gas and continue fiercely advocating for North Texas families every single day.”
But Rep. Johnson did not refrain from blaming her loss on the redistricting and the Republican party, warning that this is only a “taste” of how she thinks the party will continue to suppress marginalized communities.
“This outcome means Texas — and likely the South as a whole — will lose openly LGBTQ representation in Congress,” Rep. Johnson said.
Though this primary pushed out some incumbents, it also ushered in others.
Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX) unseated long-standing Rep. Al Green (D-TX) for the state’s 18th district despite having only been a member of Congress since February. Rep. Menefee has since championed himself as a progressive voice by advocating for LGBTQ rights and pushing back against immigration enforcement.
Though many voters were disheartened to see Rep. Green’s loss, Rep. Menefee told CBS News that he will uphold Rep. Green’s “spirit of protest.”
“I’m going to take that fight with me through the halls of Congress,” Rep. Menefee said. “I have learned a lot from Congressman Green, and I look forward to carrying that legacy forward.”
Rep. Menefee, a former attorney, said he will also take his legal experience with him to remain heavily involved in the various ongoing investigations against President Donald Trump and his administration.
“If I come for the king, I'm not going to miss,” he said. “And if we have the evidence, then I would be more than willing to move forward with impeachment articles.”
