Christian Menefee | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2026 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's18th district | |
| Assumed office February 2, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Sylvester Turner |
| County Attorney ofHarris County | |
| In office January 1, 2021 – January 14, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Vince Ryan |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Fombonne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christian Dashaun Menefee (1988-04-18)April 18, 1988 (age 37) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Texas, San Antonio (BA) Washington University in St. Louis (JD) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Christian Dashaun Menefee (/ˈmɛnəfi/; born April 18, 1988) is an American politician and attorney serving as theU.S. representative forTexas's 18th congressional district since February 2026.[1] A member of theDemocratic Party, Menefee previously served as County Attorney forHarris County, Texas, from 2021 to 2026. He was the youngest person and the first African-American to hold the office.[2][3][4]
Menefee was born inHouston, Texas and was the first from his family to attend college.[5]Menefee is a graduate ofAlief Hastings High School,[5]University of Texas at San Antonio, andWashington University School of Law.[6][3] Prior to taking office, Menefee practiced law atNorton Rose Fulbright andKirkland & Ellis LLP.[7] He said that the2016 United States presidential election made him want to enter politics, and that the office of County Attorney is "the perfect intersection of law and policy making."[5]
Menefee defeated three-term incumbent Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan and another challenger in the March 2020 Texas Democratic Primary Election, and won the November 2020 General Election.[8] He took office in January 2021. He was the youngest, and firstAfrican American to serve as Harris County Attorney.[9]
Menefee has filed several lawsuits and taken other legal action againstTexas GovernorGreg Abbott andTexas Attorney GeneralKen Paxton.[8] He sued Texas officials over the voting restrictions law passed by the legislature in 2021,[10] and challenged state officials' demands to audit the 2020[8] and 2022[11] elections in Harris County. After state officials auditing the 2020 election announced they would send a contingent of inspectors to observe Harris County's 2022 general election and perform random checks of election records, Menefee joined Houston MayorSylvester Turner and Harris County JudgeLina Hidalgo in calling on theUnited States Department of Justice to send federal monitors to the county.[12] In 2021, after Harris County imposed a mask mandate for government buildings in the county, Menefee filed a lawsuit on behalf of Harris County against Texas Governor Greg Abbott over his ban on mask and vaccine mandates.[13] This led to appearances on national news networks such asMSNBC to explain his opposition to Abbott's policies.[14] The trial and appellate courts sided with Menefee in allowing Harris County's mask mandate to stand.[15]
In March 2022, when Greg Abbott issued a directive to Texas's child protective services agency (DFPS) to open investigations into "child abuse" by parents who provide gender-affirming care to theirtransgender children,[16] Menefee publicly refused to prosecute civil cases against those parents, publishing an open letter inThe Daily Beast.[17]
Prior to the vote certification deadline for the November 2022 General Election, Menefee represented Harris County in a suit brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to void more than 2,000 votes cast pursuant to a court order extending polling hours by one hour in Harris County on Election Day.[18] The Texas Supreme Court sided with Harris County, ruling that it could count the ballots cast during the additional hour of voting.[19]
Menefee has used the Harris County Attorney's Office to file a number of high-profile environmental lawsuits, including againstUnion Pacific in connection with creosote-related contamination inHouston's Fifth Ward.[20] He has filed complaints with theEPA to investigate how theTCEQ grants permits to concrete batch plants.[21]
In January 2023, Menefee was appointed byUnited States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) AdministratorMichael S. Regan to serve on the EPA's Local Government Advisory Committee.[22]
On March 18, 2025, he announced his resignation to run in thespecial election for the U.S. House of Representatives after the death of RepresentativeSylvester Turner. He remained in office as county attorney until a successor appointed by the Harris County Commissioners Court could take office.[23] On January 8, 2026, the Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously voted to appoint Jonathan Fombonne as the next Harris County Attorney.[24] Fombonne was formally sworn in on January 14, 2026.[25]
On March 18, 2025, Menefee announced his intention to run in thespecial election in Texas's 18th congressional district, which was vacant following the death ofSylvester Turner. He remained in office as Harris County attorney until his successor, Jonathan Fombonne, took office on January 14.[23] Menefee defeated fellow DemocratAmanda Edwards in a runoff on January 31, 2026, by approximately 37 percentage points.[26]
Menefee was sworn in on February 2, 2026.[27]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Christian Dashaun Menefee | 125,971 | 50.45% | |
| Democratic | Vince Ryan (incumbent) | 62,630 | 25.08% | |
| Democratic | Ben Rose | 61,103 | 24.47% | |
| Total votes | 249,704 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Christian Dashaun Menefee | 848,451 | 54.66% | |
| Republican | John Nation | 703,771 | 45.34% | |
| Total votes | 1,552,222 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Christian D. Menefee | 108,207 | 70.04% | |
| Democratic | Umeka "UA" Lewis | 46,282 | 29.96% | |
| Total votes | 154,489 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Christian D. Menefee | 739,048 | 50.58% | |
| Republican | Jacqueline Lucci Smith | 722,031 | 49.42% | |
| Total votes | 1,461,079 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Christian Dashaun Menefee | 18,646 | 68.86% | |
| Democratic | Amanda Edwards | 8,434 | 31.14% | |
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| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's 18th congressional district 2026–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 432nd | Succeeded byas U.S. Delegate |