Erica Lee Carter, daughter of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, has officially announced her entry into the race for the opportunity to finish out her mother’s 118th U.S. Congressional term which officially ends Jan. 3, 2025.
“As I witnessed my mother’s tremendous commitment to public service and legislative acumen firsthand, the countless stories and moments that I have heard since her passing have made her ‘larger than life’ presence even more so,” said Lee Carter. “The people of the 18th Congressional District, re-elected my mother to the 118th Congress to protect their interest and uphold our democratic values. Congresswoman Jackson Lee kept their interests in her heart and mind until the very end. Since then, so many community leaders and democratic stalwarts have requested that I consider completing her term this year by running in the Nov. 5 Special Election. After careful consideration, the answer is YES.”
Lee Carter’s Aug. 12 announcement ends weeks of speculation regarding whether or not she would seek the opportunity to sit in the Washington D.C. chair her mother filled for 29 years.
Lee Carter’s announcement comes nearly two weeks after she and her family laid Jackson Lee to rest and just two days after she attended the Aug. 10 District 18 Candidates Forum, where she shared with the Defender that she was still contemplating throwing her name into the ring.
She also shared exactly what she hopes to see from the person who eventually fills that special election seat from November to Jan. 3, 2025
“I’m a District 18 resident, lifelong, and I care what happens; how [my mother] would have finished,” said Lee Carter on Aug. 10. “She would have finished strong, and I want whoever is doing the special [interim term] to finish strong. There’s still important votes to be had for our people and this community. So, I take that seriously. And I know she would want someone there that would vote as she would, not for their own personal, but to represent what was already put in place when they gave her the trust of this 118th Congress.”
Apparently, Lee Carter decided the best person for the job was herself.
“My mom was the ultimate finisher. She would stay until the latest hour at her D.C. Congressional office, she supported community events late into the evening, made calls doing the ‘people’s business’ until the wee hours of the morning, closed every important meeting with an ask, solution or next step and never took ‘No’ as a final answer. I cared for her until the end and if the people of the 18th Congressional District entrust me with their vote, then it is my desire to finish the 118th Session in the way that she would have, by supporting justice, equality, healthcare, human rights and economic opportunity for all.”
In a statement, Lee Carter called on all Harris County Democrats to unite “to ensure that the people of the 18th Congressional District regain their vote on critical national issues.”
One person who has already pledged his support is Dr. James Dixon, pastor of the Community of Faith Church and head of Houston’s NAACP.
On Aug. 9, Dixon held a press conference officially announcing his intentions to seek that “interim” special election seat. However, he added a specific caveat.
“If, however, the Congresswoman’s daughter, my little sister Erica Lee Carter, decided to enter that race to fill her mother’s term, I would immediately acquiesce and put 1,000% of our support behind Erica Lee Carter,” said Dixon. “I would never find myself running against my family, friends and certainly not the daughter of the beloved, our precious one, Congresswoman Lee.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called a Special Election to choose the person who will complete Jackson Lee’s term. That election will take place on Nov. 5, the same day that voters will also choose who will represent District 18 on a full-term basis beginning Jan. 3, 2025.
Individuals interested in running for the “interim” Special Election seat have until Aug. 22 to register.
Lee Carter has dedicated her own career to advocating for a better future for all children. Her background includes roles across federal, state, and local governments, as well as in non-profit organizations. Notably, she served as a Trustee for the Harris County Department of Education School Board from 2013 to 2019, elected by her community.
Since 2020, Lee Carter has been part of Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ Policy Division in Harris County Precinct One. A proud product of Houston’s public schools, she earned her undergraduate degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and went on to obtain a master’s degree in Public Policy from Duke University.
