Southwest
Late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's daughter running for mother's old House seat: 'I want to finish for my mom!'
Late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s daughter, Erica Lee Carter, announced Monday she is running in the special election for the U.S. House seat formerly held by her mother to finish the remainder of the late congresswoman’s term.
This comes after Jackson Lee, D-Texas, died last month at the age of 74 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. She had represented Texas’ 18th congressional district for 30 years.
Lee Carter said in a statement: “I want to finish for my mom!”
“Nearly two weeks after we laid my dear mother, the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee to rest, I am humbled to thank the entire Houston community for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support and appreciation for our entire family,” Lee Carter wrote. “As I witnessed my mother’s tremendous commitment to public service and legislative acumen firsthand, the countless stories and moments that I have heard since her passing have made her ‘larger than life’ presence even more so.”
REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE HAS PASSED AWAY AFTER BATTLE WITH PANCREATIC CANCER
Rep Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, died last month at the age of 74 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. (REUTERS/Erin Scott)
“The people of the 18th Congressional District, re-elected my mother to the 118th Congress to protect their interest and uphold our democratic values,” she continued. “Congresswoman Jackson Lee kept their interests in her heart and mind until the very end. Since then, so many community leaders and democratic stalwarts have requested that I consider completing her term this year by running in the November 5th Special Election. After careful consideration, the answer is YES.”
Jackson Lee also previously battled breast cancer, having been diagnosed in 2011, before announcing the following year she was cancer free.
Prior to her time in Congress, Jackson Lee served as a judge before she was elected to an at-large Houston City Council seat in 1989.
KAMALA HARRIS TO ATTEND REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE’S FUNERAL IN TEXAS
Last year, Jackson Lee ran an unsuccessful campaign for Houston mayor, losing by a wide margin to then-state Sen. John Whitmire, also a Democrat, before announcing she would seek re-election in Congress.
“My Mom was the ultimate finisher,” Lee Carter wrote. “She would stay until the latest hour at her D.C. Congressional office, she supported community events late into the evening, made calls doing the ‘people’s business’ until the wee hours of the morning, closed every important meeting with an ask, solution, or next step and never took ‘No’ as a final answer.”
Lee Carter said she cared for her mother until her passing.
The winner of the special election, which will be held on Nov. 5, would only fill the seat for the remainder of the current term, which runs through Jan. 3.
Sheila Jackson Lee attends the UNCF A Mind Is…Gala at Hilton Americas-Houston on November 18, 2023, in Houston, Texas. (Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)
A separate election, which will also be held on Nov. 5 for the general election, will be for the opportunity to hold the seat for the next Congress, which runs from Jan. 3, 2025 until Jan. 3, 2027. Harris County Democratic Party precinct chairs will meet on Tuesday to nominate a candidate in that race to run against Republican Lana Centonze in the district considered safe for Democrats.
Lee Carter said if the people of Texas’ 18th congressional district entrust her with their vote, then she wishes to complete the 118th session “in the way that [Jackson Lee] would have, by supporting justice, equality, healthcare, human rights and economic opportunity for all.”
“I call on all Harris County Democrats to unite to ensure that the people of the 118th Congressional District regain their vote on critical national issues,” Lee Carter said. “Together, we will finish for my Mom, The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee.”
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Los Angeles, Ca
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Los Angeles, Ca
Man found guilty of sex trafficking victim along L.A.’s Figueroa Corridor
A former Riverside County man was found guilty of sex trafficking a female victim and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts along L.A.’s notorious Figueroa Corridor.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris, was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Shabazz had led the victim to believe they were in a romantic relationship before he turned physically and sexually violent. He began demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts from May to October of 2021, court documents said.
He carried a handgun with him and, on occasion, was accused of using it to pistol-whip the victim. He also fired the gun at her feet while threatening to kill her, prosecutors said.
At trial, the victim said Shabazz demanded that she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds and that she was terrified of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
She testified that Shabazz compelled her to work in the notorious Figueroa Corridor in South L.A., a dangerous area known for human trafficking and prostitution.
Shabazz had confiscated her identification card, Social Security card and birth certificate. He constantly monitored her cell phone to stop her from communicating with any friends or family.
“He also introduced her to addictive narcotics and controlled every aspect of her life, including when she ate, slept and showered,” prosecutors said.
In May 2025, Shabazz was arrested and has remained in federal custody. His last known address at the time was in Washington, D.C.
On June 26, 2026, Shabazz was found guilty of one count of coercing or enticing interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6, where he faces 15 years to life in prison.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
“Elias Shabazz preyed on a vulnerable victim using physical and sexual violence and cruel psychological coercion to compel commercial sex acts for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “There is no place for this type of conduct in civilized society. We deeply respect the victim’s courage to face her trafficker in court. The Criminal Division will continue to bring these cases and try them.”
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
Los Angeles, Ca
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