In a development that will surprise absolutely no one who has been paying attention to Texas politics, freshman Democratic Representative Christian Menefee has defeated veteran Congressman Al Green in a runoff election that was essentially pre-ordained by a Republican map-drawing session.
The Republican-dominated Texas legislature, apparently not content with merely controlling the state, unveiled a congressional map last year specifically designed to flip seats in the GOP's favor. Because nothing says "fair elections" like redrawing district lines until your opponents' voters are scattered to the winds.
Green, a congressional fixture for over two decades and a man who has made a career out of being Donald Trump's least favorite Democrat, saw his reliably Democratic 9th district effectively eliminated under the new map. Ever the optimist, he announced a bid for the 18th district in November, presumably hoping voters wouldn't notice the switcheroo.
Menefee, who was sworn into the seat in January after winning a special election to replace the late Representative Sylvester Turner, apparently had other plans. On the campaign trail, Green tried to link his challenger with "big-money politics" and "Trump crypto cronies," according to Houston Public Media, because nothing says "elect me" like accusing your opponent of hanging out with the internet's favorite speculative asset enthusiasts.
Green's protests of the Trump administration have garnered national attention in recent years, most notably in February when he was ejected from the State of the Union address for holding a sign reading "Black people aren't apes!" - a pointed response to Trump sharing a racist AI-generated video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as simians. Because apparently we're still having this conversation in 2025.