On Feb. 2, 2026, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) swore Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) into the U.S. House of Representatives, filling the vacancy in Texas' 18th Congressional District.
The vacancy began on March 5, 2025, after the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Texas). In a runoff election on Jan. 31, 2026, Menefee defeated Amanda Edwards (D) 67.5% to 32.5%. Menefee and Edwards advanced to the runoff after no candidate received an outright majority in the special election on Nov. 4, 2025. In that election — which included 16 candidates from all parties — Menefee received 28.9% of the vote, and Edwards received 25.6%.
Menefee is the fourth person to represent the district since 2024. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D) represented the district from 1995 until she died in July 2024. On Nov. 5, 2024, Rep. Erica Lee Carter (D) won the special election to fill the vacancy, and Turner won the general election. Carter represented the district from Nov. 12, 2024, to Jan. 3, 2025, when Turner assumed office.
Menefee's swearing-in now brings the Republicans' majority in the chamber to 218 to 214 with three vacancies.
Vacancies in the 119th Congress
So far in the 119th Congress, there have been nine vacancies in the U.S. House and three in the U.S. Senate. Of those vacancies:
- Two in the U.S. Senate were filled via appointment.
- One in the U.S. Senate was filled when Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) was sworn into office 11 days after the start of the 119th Congress. Justice delayed his swearing-in to fulfill the remainder of his term as governor of West Virginia.
- Six in the U.S. House were filled after special election winners were sworn in.
As of Feb. 2, 2026, three vacancies in California's 1st Congressional District, Georgia's 14th Congressional District, and New Jersey's 11th Congressional District have not been filled.
At 334 days, the vacancy in Texas' 18th Congressional District was the longest vacancy of the 119th Congress. The vacancy was also the third-longest in the U.S. House since the 113th Congress.
- The longest vacancy in the U.S. House during that period was in Michigan's 13th Congressional District. The vacancy occurred during the 115th Congress, when Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) resigned on Oct. 27, 2019. Following Conyers' resignation, the seat was vacant for 359 days.
- The second-longest vacancy in the U.S. House during that period was in California's 50th Congressional District. The vacancy occurred during the 116th Congress, when Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) resigned on Jan. 13, 2020. Following Hunter's resignation, the seat was vacant for 356 days.
Congressional vacancies since the 113th Congress
During the 113th through 118th Congresses, there were 88 vacancies in the U.S. House and 19 in the U.S. Senate. The average length of a vacancy in the U.S. Senate during that period was six days. The average length of a vacancy in the U.S. House during that period was 138 days.
As mentioned above, the longest vacancy in the U.S. House during that period occurred in Michigan's 13th Congressional District during the 115th Congress. On the U.S. Senate side, the longest vacancy during that period was in New Jersey. The vacancy occurred during the 118th Congress, when Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) resigned on Aug. 20, 2024. Following Menendez's resignation, the seat was vacant for 20 days.