Who is running for U.S. House, Texas District 18 in 2026?

Private citizen

Ronald Dwayne Whitfield is a Republican who ran in the November 4, 2025 special election for the 18th District seat and received 1.5% of the vote¹³. He told the Houston Chronicle editorial board during that race that his campaign centers on public safety and civic education². He won the March 3, 2026 Republican primary with 55.1% of the vote¹.

No public position found on: Income taxes, National debt, Social Security, Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Energy and climate, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, Aid to Ukraine, China policy.

U.S. Representative, Texas District 18

Christian Menefee has represented Texas's 18th Congressional District since February 2, 2026, after winning a January 31, 2026 special election runoff¹. He was previously Harris County Attorney, the youngest person and first African American elected to that office¹. He holds degrees from the University of Texas at San Antonio and Washington University in St. Louis School of Law¹.

Where they stand

• Minimum wage: Raise it to around $15 Said · high confidence
  • His campaign website says he will fight to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. (2026-01-21) source
• Healthcare: Government-run coverage for everyone (Medicare for All) Said · high confidence
  • His campaign website says healthcare is a basic human right and that he will fight to pass Medicare for All. (2026-01-21) source
• Student loans: Cancel large amounts of debt and make public college tuition-free Said · high confidence
  • His campaign website says he will fight to eliminate student loan debt and make public and community college free for all. (2026-01-21) source
• Income taxes: Raise taxes on the highest earners and corporations to pay for programs Said · medium confidence
  • His campaign website says he will work to fix the tax code so billionaires and large corporations pay their fair share, and to expand tax credits for parents and caregivers. (2026-01-21) source
• Childcare and pre-K: Offer free pre-K to every 4-year-old, and expand childcare aid Said · medium confidence
  • His campaign website says he will champion universal pre-K. (2026-01-21) source
  • Told Ballotpedia he would fight to fund early childhood education and lower everyday costs, including childcare. (2025) source
• Abortion: Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks) Said · low confidence
  • His campaign website says he will fight to restore abortion rights under federal law, defend contraception and IVF, and block a national abortion ban. (2026-01-21) source
  • Told Ballotpedia that decisions about abortion should be made by families, not politicians, and that as Harris County Attorney he fought Texas abortion bans in court. (2025) source
• Guns: All of that, plus ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines Said · high confidence
  • His campaign website says he will fight to ban assault weapons, close background check loopholes, limit high-capacity magazines and ban bump stocks. (2026-01-21) source
• Immigration: A path to citizenship for most, and more legal immigration Said · medium confidence
  • Voted against the Secure America Act, which provides about $70 billion for immigration enforcement and border security. (2026-06-09) source
  • His campaign website calls for a path to citizenship, protections for Dreamers through DACA, fair visa and refugee policies, and more funding to process asylum claims. (2026-01-21) source
• Redistricting: Independent commissions draw maps, with a national ban on partisan gerrymandering Said · medium confidence
  • His campaign website says he will push for an end to gerrymandering and tougher campaign finance laws. (2026-01-21) source
• Campaign finance: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Said · medium confidence
  • His campaign website says he will push for tougher campaign finance laws. (2026-01-21) source
• Paid leave: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Said · medium confidence
  • His campaign website says he will fight to expand paid family leave. (2026-01-21) source
• Safety net programs: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Questionnaire answer · medium confidence
  • Told Ballotpedia he will protect Medicaid, food assistance and other essential benefits. (2025) source
  • His campaign website says he will strengthen Medicaid and oppose efforts to cut programs families rely on. (2026-01-21) source
• Mandatory minimums: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Said · medium confidence
  • His campaign website says too many people are locked up for nonviolent offenses, that public safety should not rely only on tougher sentences, and that he will fight to end for-profit prisons. (2026-01-21) source
• Aid to Ukraine: Restore strong U.S. aid and add tougher sanctions on Russia Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted for the Ukraine Support Act, which provides military aid and loans to Ukraine and new sanctions on Russia. (2026-06-04) source
• Politicians trading stocks: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
  • Voted against the Stop Insider Trading Act, a stock purchase ban for members that also carried voter ID provisions. (2026-07-22) source

No public position found on: National debt, Social Security, Business regulation, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Energy and climate, Judges, Marijuana, Term limits, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, China policy.