Illustration by Leah Abucayan/CNN/Getty

In the heart of Houston and its surrounding areas, the residents of Texas’ 18th Congressional District had long counted on one person to fight for them in Washington.

Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee represented the district for more than 30 years and set a precedent as a strong voice for Black Americans and someone intimately involved in the community and its issues.

It’s a stark change from what the district has in representation now: No one.

Jackson Lee’s death in July 2024 set off a saga that’s left roughly 800,000 people without a consistent voice in the US House ever since. The story involves different tides of national politics crashing into each other: the long-running Democratic debate over the age and health of the party’s officeho

See Full Page