Democrat Christian Menefee won a special election in Texas for a U.S. House seat, narrowing the Republican's already slim majority in the House. The victory in the heavily Democratic Houston-based district, previously held by the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died in March 2025, rattled Republicans both in Texas and nationally.
Menefee, the Harris County attorney, defeated Amanda Edwards, a former Houston City Council member, in a runoff election held Saturday, January 31, 2026, according to ABC News. Menefee told President Trump that the Democratic district topples corrupt presidencies.
In another Texas election, Taylor Rehmet, a Democrat and local union leader, won a state legislative special election in a historically conservative district around Fort Worth, the New York Times reported. Rehmet, a first-time candidate, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss by a significant margin of 57 to 43 percent. The seat being contested was for State Senate. The election was closely watched by national leaders from both parties as a potential indicator of Republican vulnerabilities in the upcoming midterm elections, according to the New York Times. Rehmet performed far better than expected in the first round of voting in November.
Meanwhile, in Florida, Michael Anthony Lucci, 32, and Emily Marie Lucci, 30, are facing criminal charges related to an alleged title fraud scheme involving luxury vehicles, Fox News reported. The couple, who own a car dealership, are charged with multiple counts, including making false statements on applications for bills of sale, possessing counterfeit vehicle titles, perjury, uttering forged instruments, racketeering, and organized fraud, according to jail records obtained by Fox News.
Separately, the New York Times reported on President Trump's involvement in the issue of attacks on Christians in Nigeria. According to the report, religious activists met with top Trump Administration advisors in late October to discuss attacks on Christian churches and pastors in Nigeria. Three days later, Trump threatened to intervene in Nigeria, and on Christmas Day, he launched Tomahawk missiles at terrorists he claimed were responsible for killing Nigerian Christians. The New York Times described this as the culmination of years of lobbying by Christian activists, Republican lawmakers, and American celebrities seeking U.S. intervention in Nigeria.
Also in the news, California Governor Gavin Newsom is releasing a memoir that explores his difficult childhood, contrasting with his public image, according to the New York Times. The article describes Newsom as often seen as a "smooth politician" who hobnobs with billionaires and frequents fine restaurants. However, Newsom, at age 58, views his life differently, recalling an awkward childhood.
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