Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was censured in March 2025 for heckling President Donald Trump during a joint address of Congress, in a moment that cemented the longtime congressman as a fighter for Democrats.But despite his brawler reputation, Green lost an incumbent vs. incumbent primary runoff against Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX) Tuesday night. His loss comes as polling shows 58% of potential Democratic supporters are dissatisfied with how much Democrats are “fighting back” against Trump, according to a recent New York Times/Siena poll. Green, 78, and Menefee, 38, were set on a collision course for Texas’s 18th Congressional District as a result of mid-decade redistricting pursued by Texas Republicans as the GOP looks to maintain control of the House in November.
That, combined with the Democratic Party’s push for generational change, as well as outside spending that saw Menefee receive millions from the crypto industry, created headwinds that Green could not overcome as he sought his 12th term in Congress.
“He represents an anti-Trump wing,” Democratic strategist Hyma Moore told the Washington Examiner. “The Democrats, and I think, quite frankly, America, is so ready to move past Donald Trump, and they’re looking for people, particularly Democrats, who can think about a vision beyond Donald Trump.”
