“If you’re on time, you’re late” is something Christian Menefee seemed to have in mind as he arrived several minutes early to the debate hosted by UH’S Au Fiat Civics Club at Hilton Hotel on the 22nd of Jan. and spent the time conversing with students. How “genuine” and “nice” Menefee seemed was a common theme uncovered when asking students what he discussed with them.
“He didn’t seem like a politician,” said AyoDeJi Ajboola, one of the several students he spoke with. The way Menefee grew up influenced his involvement in politics is one of the topics he broached with them.
In his opening speech, he discussed how government and military programs helped his family, including how the military provided life-saving treatment for his brother and the Pell Grant allowed him to go to school. He then pivoted to how the government is limiting economic mobility and allowing the onslaught of ICE Agents.
That wasn’t the only time he mentioned immigrant justice.
“I’m fully team abolishing ICE.”
He shared that a close family member from Mexico was recently assaulted and the fear of ICE stopped him from seeking medical treatment and calling the police. “I’m fully team abolishing ICE,” he said during the segment. “It’s a small percentage of folks in Congress, but that’s something I would stand on any day.” He also brought up the detention of recently released 5-year-old Liam Ramos.
Stuti, whose last name has been redacted for privacy concerns, preferred Menefee’s answers to Edwards. “But as we’ve seen with the murder of Renee Good and little kids being stopped in the street, we see that funding isn’t the issue, training isn’t the issue, ICE needs to be abolished because it’s a corrupt establishment to its core.”
When it came to LGBTQ rights, he leaned on his track-record while working as Harris County Attorney endorsement by the LGBTQ plus caucus, saying he refused to comply with the order to deny transgender children affirming healthcare. Menefee believes that Congress should enforce people’s rights to use their desired bathrooms.
On the question of protection of student protestors in lieu of the statewide crackdowns and UH surveilling student protests, he is for it and against surveillance and again thinks the Federal Government needs do more to protect rights and should investigate when civil rights are violated.
Menefee also took a stance against censorship in education. “There’s no reason why a kid growing up in California should be able to learn about black history, about indigenous populations, but in Texas, a professor who teaches those same topics gets in trouble. The State of Texas is cheating, as the federal government needs to step in.”
Though his resolution of shaking up the status quo came across to everyone, not every one of his answers resonated with the audience.
Graham McAdams feels like nothing was said at times between candidates on matters like Israel. “They both said they wanted peace, they both said they were willing to provide aid to Palestine, but neither said they were willing to withhold funds as a means to secure a peace deal.”
“Menefee seems like he’s not as willing to concede, but I do think that sometimes concessions need to be made in order to get stuff done.” He talked about financial aid not being distributed when the government shutdown happened. “It’s a divisive government and in a time like this, you do need to fight for what’s right but sometimes you do need to cooperate as well.”
After winning the 31st’s run-off election, Christian Menefee will fill the seat in the 18th Congressional District left vacant by the passing of former Mayor Sylvester Turner for the remainder of the year. Menefee will still have to compete against Edwards and other candidates in Mar. 3rd’s primary election to see who the permanent representative in 2027 will be.
Delivered by Shekinah Abolo
