Houston – Baby boomers, relationship-building and a record on The Hill spanning 30 years. Those are the three keys almost certain to send Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee back to Washington, according to Dr. Michael Adams.
A political science professor at Texas Southern University, Adams reviewed early voting numbers for the 18th Congressional District race. Jackson Lee had over 11,000 thousand early votes he says and Amanda Edwards had over 7,000. Most early voters, he says, were baby boomers.
“They were 60 years of age or older, and many of them were women. That has traditionally been the base of support for Sheila Jackson Lee,” Adams says.
Jackson Lee’s years of building strong relationships in the community also helped.
“I think the voters, those who did turn out, they spoke resoundingly in favor of Sheila Jackson Lee. She got 60-percent of the vote. I think in that race, the incumbent has the advantage,” Adams says.
The morning after the election, Edwards, who had yet to concede, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “I would like to express my gratitude to my family, friends, volunteers, supporters, donors & my team for their incredible efforts & support of my bid for Congress. Although we did not win, we empowered the community. I am grateful for that & all of you! Thanks for your support!”
Dr. Adams says the former Houston City Councilwoman and former intern to Sheila Jackson Lee, needed a clear message for voters, and also needed to separate herself from the Congresswoman she wanted to replace.
“You have to be able to separate yourself from a long-term incumbent. There was no separation.” Adams says Edwards could have benefitted from a marquee policy. “Sheila jackson Lee is a known quantity. She’s been out there for a long time,” he says.
This race was the first real reelection threat to 74-year-old Jackson Lee. Her district is heavily Democratic and she’s expected to easily win in November.