'Who do we call on?': More than 700,000 Houstonians without Congressional representation

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's been almost a month since Congressman and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner died, and there are still no plans to fill the seat left by Turner.

Gov. Greg Abbott has until Friday to call for a special election for U.S. House District 18 to make it on to the ballot in May.

But, as of now, more than 700,000 people who live in the district will be unrepresented in Washington.

On Wednesday, Democratic Leader Hakeen Jeffries said his caucus will likely sue if an election isn't scheduled soon.

Governor Abbott is the only one with the authority to call for an election.

When ABC13 reached out to his office for an explanation today, we were simply told that an announcement would be made at a later date.

That statement isn't reassuring to those who live in the district.

"We don't have a leader right now, and it's hard because we have no fight," said Ricky Guilbeau, who lives in northeast Houston and owns a barbershop. "We don't have a dog in the fight right now."

"We pay our taxes just like anybody else," resident Delven Thomas said. "We look at our streets, we look at these abandoned buildings up and down Homestead and just in the community, and we want to be heard also."

Down the street, Bethany Baptist Church has been in northeast Houston for 100 years.

Parishioners know the place they call home well.

"This district started in 1972. Barbara Jordan was the person, then Sheila Jackson comes in, after her passing, her daughter Erica took it over for a little while, and then we had Sylvester for a little while," Betty Bland explained. "We always had those people in our neighborhoods doing things an reaching out and we look around and it's like, 'Oh, we don't have anybody, and it doesn't look like we're going to have anybody soon.'"

Northeast Houston has been hit hard by natural disasters, like Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and even Beryl last year.

If disaster strikes now, there will be nobody in Congress to advocate for federal funding.

"I'm praying that nothing major comes up or happens because while there are many that may be seeking the seat, right now, there's no one sitting in the seat," Pastor Dr. Steve Hall said. "I don't understand how any American could not want representation."

"If anything happens," asked Barbara Matthes, "Who do we call on?"

State law doesn't set a deadline for the governor to call the election, so if he waits until the November general election, this district will have gone close to 250 days without representation in Washington.

Or the governor could simply choose not to call an election at all, meaning the seat will stay empty until next year.

"My mother and father worked so hard for the house where they're at right now, and for this to go on, it's irritating, it really is," resident Thomas Williams said.

"We see the agenda they're trying to do. Ain't nobody dumb to the fact. They're trying to take everything and set us back," Thomas said. "We need somebody to stand up and fight for us. We love our community just like they love their community, and we need help."

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