Houston Style Magazine attended a recent media event with Christian Menefee, candidate for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, where he outlined his legislative priorities, legal accomplishments, and the personal experiences that shaped his political vision.

Menefee, who recently resigned as Harris County Attorney to focus on his campaign, remains in the role as acting county attorney under the Texas Constitution until the Harris County Commissioners Court appoints a permanent successor by majority vote.

In an emotional and policy-focused address, Menefee opened with reflections on his childhood, underscoring the impact of government programs on his family’s survival and upward mobility. “I grew up in a household where there were many nights I would not have been able to eat if it were not for the WIC program,” he shared. “My parents would never have been able to buy their first home if it weren’t for the VA down payment assistance program, which allowed them to buy a home when I was in high school with just five hundred dollars down.”

He credited the post-9/11 GI Bill for making law school possible and shared that his brother, a cancer survivor, was able to receive life-saving treatment due to his family’s military insurance, TRICARE. “He’s been in remission for 25 years now.”

Throughout the event, Menefee made it clear that he is not interested in performative politics. “I didn’t come here to go to galas. I didn’t come here to kiss babies. I came here to shake tables — to kick them over — to advocate for the communities I care about,” he said. “That means I don’t care if you’re in the governor’s mansion, a CEO boardroom, or the White House: if you’re bringing harm to those communities, you can prepare for a fight.”

As Harris County Attorney, Menefee said he used what is often a quiet legal office to actively challenge what he described as harmful policies from state and federal leaders. He pointed to several high-profile cases, including:

• Suing the Trump administration when it cut millions of dollars from health care programs — a case in which the county won and was refunded.

• Defending more than 2,000 legally cast ballots targeted by former Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — ultimately winning a unanimous 9–0 decision from the Republican-led Texas Supreme Court.

“These were fights for our community, and we won them,” Menefee said.

Menefee also emphasized the importance of upholding the legacy of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, calling her a “preeminent fighter” who advocated for Black, Brown, and marginalized Americans. He expressed frustration with the state of national politics following Donald Trump’s election, stating, “Something changed in me, something changed in our communities, and something changed in this country.”

He pledged to be a bold and unapologetic voice in Congress, taking inspiration from leaders like Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who resonate strongly with younger voters.  “People don’t just want experience. They want a fighting spirit — someone who can walk into a room with the Speaker of the House or stand in a neighborhood and talk to a grandmother, and speak with the same conviction.”

On immigration, Menefee shared a personal story about a close family member who came to the U.S. as a child without documentation. “He’s done everything right — graduated high school, went to college, works a good job. But after being assaulted in a road rage incident, he didn’t report it because he feared deportation.” Menefee called for a “full-scale revamping” of the immigration system, including:

• Adequate funding and modernization of the asylum process.
• A direct path to citizenship for Dreamers.
• Expanded worker and student visa programs.
• Firm but limited enforcement focused on violent offenders, not law-abiding immigrants.

Menefee also detailed his environmental justice work as County Attorney, citing legal action against concrete batch plants and polluters that disproportionately impact communities of color, such as Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens. “If illegal dumping is so hard to solve, why don’t we see it in River Oaks?” he asked. “It’s an environmental justice issue.”

He expressed concern over recent rollbacks at the Environmental Protection Agency and emphasized the need to strengthen federal enforcement of environmental laws to prevent cancer clusters in residential areas.

Menefee’s campaign also includes a strong focus on housing and homelessness — an issue he said is deeply personal. “My grandmother was unhoused and sleeping on the streets every day because she battled mental illness,” he said. “We need systems that link services, not force people to navigate disjointed support networks.”

He called for expanded mental health care, transitional housing programs, and a departure from punitive approaches. “We cannot criminalize homelessness,” he said.

On the campaign front, Menefee said his grassroots support is a key differentiator. “We’ve raised just shy of a million dollars from over 12,500 donors — not billionaires. People.” His endorsements include over 40 current and former elected officials such as State Rep. Alma Allen, and Harris County Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Lesley Briones. His campaign is also backed by nearly 15 labor unions, faith leaders, precinct chairs, and community advocates.

At the conclusion of the event, Menefee reiterated that his campaign is about service, not spectacle. “I’m not here to go viral. I’m not here to be a celebrity. I’m here to serve.”

“I get up at 4 a.m. every morning,” he added. “I read my Bible, pray, go to the gym, get my kids ready, and then I go to work. And I plan to bring that same discipline, that same fight, to Congress.”