Early voting begins, 17 constitutional amendments, two special elections on ballot

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 (The Center Square) – Early voting is underway in Texas with 17 constitutional amendments and two special elections on the ballot. One is for an open congressional seat in Houston; another is for an open state Senate seat in the Fort Worth area. 

Early voting goes until Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 4. 

Ten of the 17 constitutional amendments on the ballot would restrict some form of taxation, including implementing additional property tax reforms. Ten amendments addressing taxation include Propositions 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 17, The Center Square reported.

Some amendments would permanently commit taxpayer dollars to fund medical research (Proposition 14), workforce education (Proposition 1) and other projects. Others address crime and public safety, including bail reform (Proposition 3 and 12). Others are related to parental rights and voting.

Proposition 15, related to parental rights, has widespread opposition from conservatives and liberals, both opposing it for different reasons, The Center Square reported. 

Two special elections are on the ballot. 

One is CD 18 in Houston for the congressional seat left open after Sylvester Turner died last year. He was elected after serving as Houston’s mayor, filling U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s seat after she also died last year. 

In April, Gov. Greg Abbott set the special election for CD 18 for Nov. 4. 

Sixteen candidates are running for the seat: seven Democrats, five Republicans, three Independents and one member of the Green Party. 

“Four candidates – Amanda Edwards (D), Jolanda Jones (D), Christian Menefee (D), and Carmen Montiel (R) — lead in media attention, polling, and endorsements,” according to Ballotpedia. 

Edwards is a former Houston City Council member and attorney; Jones is a state representative, former Houston City Council member and attorney; Menefee is the Harris County Attorney; Montiel is a Venezuelan-born real estate broker and former news anchor.

Notably, Republican candidate Carter Page claims he was swept up in anti-Trump media frenzy in 2016 when he was accused of being a Russian asset. The Russia collusion allegations against President Donald Trump have since been confirmed to be false and allegedly perpetrated by the Obama administration and members of the intelligence community, The Center Square reported. 

Page, a distinguished U.S. Naval Academy graduate, has extensive warfare experience with multiple tours in the Middle East and Europe and worked on nuclear nonproliferation policy issues in Washington, D.C. Also an investment banker, Page founded financial institutions focused on the energy sector in Houston.

A runoff election is expected in the crowded race in a heavily Democratic district. The top two candidates, regardless of party, will advance to a runoff election if no one receives more than 50% of the vote. 

Whoever wins will fill the seat through the remainder of the term. 

With Texas redistricting going into effect in the 2026 election, CD 18 and nearly all congressional districts are expected to change. 

The second special election is for a state Senate seat, SD 9. It is currently vacant after former state Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, was appointed by Abbott as Acting Comptroller. Hancock is running in a primary election next March. 

Hancock won the heavily Republican district by 60% of the vote. 

Three candidates are running for SD 9: two Republicans and one Democrat. 

Republican John Huffman, a former Southlake mayor, has been endorsed by Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price among others. He’s running against Leigh Wambsganss, who previously ran Patriot Mobile Action. She’s been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare and others.  

Democrat Taylor Rehmet, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and president of the local and state chapters of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, is also running. He’s been endorsed by several Democratic leaders and argues SD 9 “is more competitive than ever, and ready to flip. In recent local elections, Fort Worth voters sent a clear message: they’re done with MAGA extremism.”

He believes that by focusing “on real results, not culture wars,” he has built a coalition of Independents and moderate Republicans to win. “Working families, veterans, educators, and everyday Texans are ready for a senator who listens, leads, and delivers. SD 9 is in play – and together, we can take it,” he says.