Houston Chronicle: Don’t just vote for him because he’s young. Christian Menefee wins fights more than Al Green.
The former county attorney will be better able to deliver for Houston than the longtime representative.
By The Editorial Board, Opinions from the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board
Feb 11, 2026
Normally, newly elected members of Congress get sworn in as part of a cohort, a freshman class who learn the ropes together. When former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee got to Washington, D.C., that didn’t happen.
“I came in in a special election so none of that existed,” he told the editorial board.
“My orientation was 15 minutes and then I’m told, ‘You know you’re giving a speech on the floor tonight?’”
Occasionally on the House floor he has flashbacks from his childhood as the kid of two military members whose frequent moves meant he often had to start at a new school from scratch midway through the year.
“I’m good at making friends,” he said.
As Harris County Attorney, he grew the office and built a reputation as a fighter, able to not only take on both the state and federal government, but win against them, too. He challenged the state when it tried to say the county had illegally defunded law enforcement and more recently fought back against the state’s attempts to sue the county for funding legal defense for immigrants. He even helped claw back funding for the county from the Trump administration after its early budget slashing bonanza. His experience has already earned him a spot on the Democrats’ litigation task force, where he’ll help create a more coordinated approach to the patchwork of lawsuits currently holding back the flood of constitutional abuses coming from the Trump administration.
But Menefee, 37, not only has to find his feet in Washington, D.C. but also find a victory in the newly redrawn Congressional District 18. He’s campaigning every spare moment he has.
“Good news is because of my work as county attorney, I’m finding that when I’m moving around the new 18th, people know who I am,” said Menefee.
His primary challenger, Rep. Al Green, 78, knows people will be familiar with him, too. The longtime incumbent of the 9th was drawn out of his district and has been campaigning to show his new constituents that he still has the fight and vigor to continue being the outspoken advocate who was the first to present articles of impeachment against Donald Trump during his first term — a move that alienated some fellow Democrats at the time but that shows his willingness to be bold.
In the past, we endorsed Green several times, citing his reliable Democratic representation that brought back millions to his district for important infrastructure projects. This time, he didn’t meet with us, offering this statement instead:
“I am not the Houston Chronicle's Congressman, I'm the People's Congressman. I see no reason to legitimize a sham, pre-determined endorsement process wherein the Houston Chronicle has already made its selection.”
But the editorial board believes Menefee’s brand of fighting, with its mix of legal strategy and relationship-building, has a greater chance of success.
“I’m the only candidate in this race who has a track record of fighting and winning,” said Menefee.
He’ll bring his fight not just to the Trump administration, starting with ICE’s constitutional abuses and disregard for due process, but also to his vision of a district where everyone has a shot at the American dream. He wants to raise the minimum wage, restore subsidized health care premiums and put money back into the pockets of American families with expanded tax credits to parents.
It’s a vision worth fighting for. Congress’ new kid Menefee is ready to graduate.