So far. That’s what I learned from this story.
Rep. Sylvester Turner
George Foreman IV, the son of the legendary Houston boxer, is running for Congress.
Foreman said he will run as an independent in the crowded race to replace the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, who died in March. A special election to determine who will finish Turner’s term for the 18th Congressional District will be held on Nov. 4.
“I want to make life better for working families, for small business owners, for students trying to find their path, and for people who feel unseen,” Foreman said on his campaign website.
Foreman, who grew up in Humble, is an educator who has degrees in journalism and public administration from Texas Southern University. On his website, he emphasized wanting to help prepare young people for the workforce and supporting law enforcement.
Foreman is one of 12 children of George Foreman Sr., a former heavyweight boxing champion, businessman and minister who died in March at the age of 76.
There are 29 candidates who have announced they are running for the seat. Nineteen are Democrats, four are Republicans, and the rest are independent or minor party candidates. The district, previously represented by the late Sheila Jackson Lee, heavily favors Democrats. It includes downtown Houston, the Fifth Ward and stretches north into Humble.
Other notable candidates in the race include Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, former Houston city councilwoman Amanda Edwards and State Rep. Jolanda Jones.
I currently count seventeen Democrats, four Republicans, and five independents, for a total of 26. That latter search also included Greens and Libertarians but there were no such candidates, at least as of when I looked. Most likely, the difference is with those who haven’t yet filed any campaign finance documents – the story references people who have announced, which is much more nebulous. (Foreman was not listed when I looked, so count him in that latter group.) How many of these people actually file to run remains to be seen. There could be more as well. I’ll bring you the July finance report info later this month.