Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) has defeated Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) in an unusual Democratic primary runoff election that pitted two current House members against each other for a redrawn district.
The clash between the freshman Menefee and Green, who is in his 11th term, is one of several races showcasing the debate within the Democratic party over whether the party’s old guard needs to make way for younger leaders.
Republicans redrew the Texas congressional maps at President Donald Trump’s urging last year to ensure as few Democrats as possible would represent the state in Congress.
“We’ve been very hyper-focused on older voters, letting them know that I am more than competent and capable of doing the job, and it’s time to pass the torch,” Menefee told HuffPost in an interview last week at the Capitol.
In recent years, Green, who is 78, has been one of the most visible Democrats in Congress. He’s been thrown out of each of President Donald Trump’s last two speeches in the Capitol, waving his cane at the president last year and this year holding up a sign that read, “Black people aren’t apes.”
Since Trump’s first term, he’s been one of the most vocal advocates for impeachment. When Republicans censured him last year for disrupting Trump’s speech, Green proudly said he was guilty.
“My reputation is something that I’ve earned over 20 years,” Green told HuffPost earlier this year. “It’s not store-bought. Not something that some people decided they’d spend millions of dollars and create.
The biggest policy difference between the candidates regards cryptocurrency regulation. Menefee has expressed friendliness toward the industry, which has rewarded him with more than $4 million in campaign advertising. The Senate and House could soon pass legislation that would massively benefit crypto firms.
Green has suggested crypto candidates will be beholden to the industry when it’s time to vote. He’s proud of his “F” rating he’s earned from an industry group.
Menefee accused Green of running a “shamefully dirty race” but said it was unfortunate that Texas’s Republican governor pushed through a redistricting plan that pitted them against each other.
“Greg Abbott put us in a really shitty position,” Menefee said. “He drew the two Black districts together for one Black district, and it’s resulted in two community leaders, two public servants, having to run against each other.”