Texas Rep. Al Green has been an integral part of the Democratic party and the heart of state politics since being elected back in 2005. But after over 20 years, the 78-year-old Congressman’s seat is being threatened by another Black man, representing a new generation of leadership.
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All eyes have been on states like Texas, where GOP-led redistricting efforts shrunk– or completely got rid of– several Democratic voting zones. Rep. Green’s was one of the many impacted, we previously told you. Still, he decided to run for a 12th term, proving he’s still a force to be reckoned with.
In fact, you probably recognize him from his viral demonstration against President Donald Trump. Last year, he caused an uproar after disrupting Trump’s first Congressional address. After being escorted out of the room, Green showed up to the 2026 president’s State of the Union speech to protest yet again.
But despite Green’s passion and clear resolve to face Trump and his supporters, the Democrat failed to secure a majority of the votes during this past Super Tuesday election in Texas. Now, he’s up against Rep. Christian Menefee, the new kid on the block, in the upcoming runoff election.
Menefee, 37, quietly exploded onto the political scene after winning a February special election to replace the late, former Rep. Sylvester Turner, we told you. But he was once thrown into the political fire following the gerrymandering scheme.
The new congressional maps redrew Houston’s 9th District– which Green presided over– making the blue district significantly more red. It’s all part of Republicans’ plan to get more seats ahead of the November midterms. Because of this, Rep. Green opted to run in the 18th District which is more Democrat, POLITICO reported.
According to the Tuesday election results, Menefee had the highest voter turnout with 46 percent of the vote compared to Green’s 44 percent. Another 10 percent of voters were split between the last two Democrats on the ballot. Now, the battle has narrowed down to just Green and Menefee, who will face each other in May.
Green and other older Democratic leaders have faced calls to retire, especially after former President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. Meanwhile, folks skeptical of Menefee wonder if he has what it takes to take on Trump.
To his credit, Menefee previously was the Harris County attorney and has filed multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration. Still, the jury’s still out on whether Texans trust him enough to replace Rep. Green, a pillar in the state.
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