Exclusive: Former Rep. Craig Washington on TX-18's Voicelessness—“This Isn’t Just Politics. It’s Oppression.”
TX-18 (Texas's 18th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives)—home to Houston's Black political legacy—is being left out of the conversation in Washington. Again.
The historic congressional district, once led by political powerhouses like Barbara Jordan, Mickey Leland, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Sylvester Turner, has had no voice in Congress since January. And despite the billions in federal funds being decided on right now—infrastructure dollars, education funding, disaster recovery, healthcare—its 700,000 residents have no elected advocate in the room.
Former Congressman Craig Washington, the last living full-term representative of TX-18, says enough is enough.
“This is taxation without representation,” Washington told BET.com in an exclusive interview. “And in America, that’s not just wrong—it’s unconstitutional.”
The Delay—and the Danger
Gov. Greg Abbott recently called a special election for Nov. 4, a full ten months after the seat was vacated when Jackson Lee returned to Houston for a mayoral run. Washington says that delay is no coincidence—it’s a political strategy with real consequences for a district that’s majority-Black, working-class, and already underserved.
“If they wait until November, then have a runoff, you’re talking about December before someone is sworn in,” Washington said. “By then, the federal money will already be gone—sent to other districts with actual representation.”
According to Washington, that’s how democracy dies: not always with violence, but with silence.
“The people of TX-18 are getting crumbs. Crumbs. Because there’s no one in the room fighting for them,” he told BET.
“Sue the Governor”
Washington, who helped lead the Congressional Black Caucus’s opposition to Clarence Thomas’s confirmation in the 1990s, is now calling for legal action. He wants a lawsuit filed against Abbott and the state of Texas for violating TX-18 residents’ constitutional rights.
“The courts should order that an election be held within 30 days. That’s what the law allows. And that’s what the people deserve,” he said.
He even suggests that federal funds intended for the district be placed in escrow until a representative is elected. “That money belongs to the people. If they can’t use it without a voice, then save it until they have one.”
A Power Grab—And A Pattern
Though Washington didn’t mention race explicitly, the implications are clear. When asked what message this sends to Black and Brown voters, he didn’t hesitate:
“That they don’t matter.”
He also called out what he sees as the real reason for the delay: political power.
“Republicans only have a two-vote majority in the House. If TX-18 votes in a Democrat, that shrinks. Governor Abbott knows that,” he said. “This isn’t bureaucracy. It’s strategy.”
Why He's Speaking Up
At 80, Washington could have easily stayed quiet. But as someone who once walked the halls of Congress for TX-18, he said he still feels a deep responsibility to speak out.
“I’m not running again. I don’t even live in the district anymore. But I love these people—they sent me to Congress,” he said. “And right now, no one’s speaking for them.”
His advice to voters, the media, and national organizers? Turn up the pressure.
“We see you. We understand what you’re doing. And we’re not going to let it slide,” Washington said. “TX-18 is not a colony. They are citizens. And we demand representation.”
