U.S. Rep. Al Green, a Houston Democrat who recently was drawn out of the congressional district he has represented since 2005, expressed his intention to run next year for the seat in the newly redrawn 18th Congressional District. But on Tuesday he ruled out a run in November’s special election to temporarily replace the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner.
Green represents the 9th Congressional District, but under a new congressional map passed by Texas lawmakers, most of his constituents will fall in the new 18th District. Texas Republicans led a mid-decade redistricting at the request of President Donald Trump, who wants to preserve his party’s slim majority in the U.S. House.
Speaking at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Green said he would not be running in the newly redrawn 9th District, but signaled his intentions to run in the new 18th District.
"To those who say I am moving into the 18th Congressional District, the new district, to run for office, [it's] not so," he said. "All I'm doing is staying where my constituents are. ... They didn't move my constituents, they didn't move my house."
Green's remarks come afterthe Texas Senate early Saturdayapproved a new congressional mapdesigned to give the GOP as many as five more seats in Congress after the 2026 midterm elections. The measure is now awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott's signature.The new congressional map still contains a 9th Congressional District, but that district is shifting from southern and southwestern Houston to eastern Harris County and Liberty County, the latter of which heavily favors Republicans.
"It would not make sense for me to run in this new 9th Congressional District," Green said. "It consumes a great portion of Liberty County. I have no relationships politically with the people in the new 9th Congressional District. The new 18th Congressional District is where I have my home and my constituents."
Green said he is not running in the special election because it would add to the ongoing confusion brought about by the mid-decade redistricting, but also because it would require him to vacate his current seat.
"I'm going to be faithful to the people of the 9th Congressional District and not abandon them," he said. "I'm going to be loyal to them and make sure that I continue to represent them. ... I can then make a decision about whether to sign up to run for the new 18th Congressional District.
"I'm not making that announcement today,” he added. “If I made an announcement today, then there would be vast confusion about where I am."
Whether or not Green runs for the new 18th Congressional District in 2026, he said he will be on the ballot one way or another.
"Nothing has changed for me," he said. "In November, I file every year, and I will file again this November for my place in Congress."
In response to Texas Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting, California Republicans haveunveiled their own new redistricting mapto try and counter Republicans.Despite Democrats claiming that California's newly proposed map is a direct counter to Texas Republicans following through with Trump's request to redistrict, TrumpannouncedMonday that he planned to sue California over its new map.
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Green said what California is doing is an appropriate response to what's happening in Texas.
"You cannot let one side play by no rules," Green said. "That's the kind of president we're dealing with. No rules for him, rules for us. That's called authoritarianism. That's what it's called, and that's what we have devolved into — an authoritarian state with an authoritarian president."
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