Until her death, she represented the 18th District of Texas - just north of us in central Houston.
For more information about her:
- Wikipedia: Sheila Jackson Lee.
- Wikipedia: Texas's 18th congressional district.
From the Texas Tribune:
Gov. Greg Abbott can call a special election to fill the congressional seat for the rest of the year. State law does not specify a deadline to call a special election, but if it is called the election is required to happen within two months of the announcement. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
. . . “The history of Texas is to call a special election and fill the unexpired term. So that's what we expect Governor Abbott to do,” said Chad Dunn, a Texas Democratic Party lawyer.
. . . She was set to be on November’s general election ballot after defeating Amanda Edwards — a former intern for Jackson Lee — in the March Democratic primary. Democrats now have to decide on another candidate.
Texas law lays out the procedures for Democrats to nominate a new candidate to run against Lana Centonze, the Republican candidate, in the general election.
. . . the county will hold a meeting at least 10 days out to select a new candidate.
That meeting will include the Harris County Democratic Party’s executive committee, which by Texas law has until 5 p.m. on Aug. 26 to nominate someone. The committee is made of Harris County precinct chairs — elected officials representing districts within the county. There are currently around 130 precinct chairs in Harris County.
During the committee’s selection process, potential candidates will make their case to the precinct chairs, explaining their positions and priorities. Dunn said that while the decision is made by the precinct chairs, it is still a “very democratic process” as the meetings are public and precinct chairs are “the smallest unit of representative government we have.”
. . . If the Texas Democratic Party fails to make a new nomination on time, Jackson Lee remains on the ballot. If she is then elected, the seat would be vacant and a new election would be called.
