Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who recently lost a landslide runoff election for Houston mayor, has filed for re-election to serve a 16th term as a congresswoman.
Jackson Lee filed paperwork Sunday evening to run again to represent Texas’s 18th congressional district, the Houston Chronicle reported, a seat that she has held since 1995.
Jackson Lee lost her bid to become Houston’s mayor on Saturday by a margin of 65% to 34% to John Whitemire about a month after she was involved in a controversy where she was caught on audio tape berating her staff using profane language.
Whitmire appeared to take a shot at Jackson Lee in his victory speech on Saturday night.
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Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas (Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)
“People want to go to work for me because we respect people. We don’t bully people,” Whitmire said during his victory speech Saturday, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle. “My family taught me to treat people the way you want to be treated, and that works wherever you are, regardless of what community you’re visiting with. Treat these individuals like you want to be treated.”
Jackson Lee, who was endorsed for mayor by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was also at the center of ridicule for a gaffe earlier this month in which she encouraged her supporters to vote on the wrong day, urging voters to cast their ballots by Dec. 7, two days before the actual date of the runoff election.
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Houston mayoral candidates state Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee speak at a mayoral forum on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)
Fox News Digital reached out to Jackson Lee’s office but did not immediately receive a response.
Jackson Lee will face what is expected to be a hotly contested primary election against fellow Democrat Amanda Edwards who once served as an intern in Jackson Lee’s office. Edwards holds a 4-to-1 edge in fundraising over Jackson Lee, Houston Chronicle reported.
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Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas (REUTERS/Erin Scott)
The deadline to file for the Democratic primary is Monday at 6 p.m.
“When we look at the critical need for economic opportunity, infrastructure, and the dysfunction in Congress, it’s no surprise that people are saying that it’s time for change,” Edwards recently said about her run to replace Jackson Lee. “It is time to do something different in this election so that we can obtain different results for the community.”
Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee contributed to this report.
