Early voting begins Jan. 21 for a special runoff election being held Jan. 31 for the vacant Congressional District 18 seat.

Some context: A special election was held Nov. 4 to fill the vacant congressional seat following the death of incumbent Sylvester Turner in March.

The special election, which had 16 candidates, resulted in a runoff election between the top two vote-getters: Democratic candidates Christian Dashaun Menefee and Amanda Edwards. The winner of the special runoff election will serve Congressional District 18 for the remainder of Turner's unexpired term, which ends in January 2027.

What voters should know: For the special runoff election, polls will be open for early voting in accordance with following schedule:

• Jan. 21-24: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Jan. 25: noon-7 p.m.
• Jan. 26-27: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Two candidates for Texas House of Representatives District 3 will appear on the ballot for both the Democratic and Republican primaries on election day.

The details: District 3 covers portions of Magnolia and Montgomery County. The seat is currently held by Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., R-Magnolia, who was elected to the position in 2013.

Primary early voting begins Feb. 17, and election day is March 3. The winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries will face off in the general election in November.

Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.

Recruiters from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will host a job fair Jan. 24 to hire for a variety of seasonal roles for the upcoming 2026 rodeo.

The overview: Rodeo staff as well as representatives from ASM Global, Amarak and Safe Management are hiring for part-time positions, including concessions, cashiers, bartenders, waitstaff, event staff and security, per a Jan. 13 news release.

What you need to know: Candidates must be 18 years or older to participate in the Jan. 24 job fair, which will run from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at NRG Stadium, according to the release. Interested applicants are encouraged to review available positions and apply online before attending the fair.

Additionally, American Medical Response is hiring paramedics and emergency personnel to work the rodeo events, and the rodeo's carnival partner, RCS, is recruiting game and carnival ride attendants, per the release.

Check this out: The 2026 Houston Rodeo will feature Western events, live music and carnival attractions March 2-22 at NRG Stadium, according to Community Impact's coverage of this year's lineup. 

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County announced in a Jan. 14 news release the expansion of an initiative which aims to increase the amount of law enforcement officers across the system's facilities.

The details: Per the release, METRO is partnering with the following law enforcement agencies for additional uniformed officers on trains, buses, platforms and transit centers:

• Houston Police Department
• Harris County Sheriff’s Office
• Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office
• Harris County Precinct 6 Constable’s Office
• Harris County Precinct 7 Constable’s Office

Three Democratic candidates are running to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate during the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The overview: Jasmine Crockett, Ahmad R. Hassan and James Talarico are competing for the Democratic nomination for a six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

The details: Each state has two U.S. senators, with Ted Cruz and John Cornyn currently representing Texas. Cornyn, whose seat is up for election, is running for reelection in an eight-way Republican primary.

The winning Democratic candidate will face the winner of the Republican nomination in November; the winner of that election will be sworn in to the U.S. Senate in January 2027.

Eight Republican candidates are running to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate during the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Republican incumbent John Cornyn is seeking a fifth term as Texas' senior senator. Each state has two U.S. senators—Cornyn currently serves alongside Republican Ted Cruz.

Seven Republican candidates are challenging Cornyn for the Republican nomination: John O. Adefope, Anna Bender, Virgil John Bierschwale, Sara Canady, Wesley Hunt, Gulrez “Gus” Khan and Ken Paxton.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the Republican primary, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters on May 26.

Looking ahead: The winning Republican candidate will face the winner of the Democratic nomination in November; the winner of that election will be sworn in to the U.S. Senate in January 2027.