Which congressional vacancies are scheduled to be filled by special election in 2025 and what are their timelines?
Executive summary
A half-dozen U.S. House vacancies were scheduled to be filled by special elections in 2025, with contests clustered across spring, summer and fall — and at least one race stretching into a 2026 runoff. The clearest, documented timelines in the reporting include two Florida seats in early April, Arizona’s 7th with July primaries and a September general, Virginia’s 11th in September, Texas’s 18th tied to the November 4 general (with a January 2026 runoff), and Tennessee’s 7th called for December [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7].
1. The short list: which vacancies are being filled in 2025
Public reporting identifies special elections in 2025 to fill Arizona’s 7th Congressional District (vacated by the death of Rep. Raúl Grijalva), Virginia’s 11th (vacated by the death of Rep. Gerry Connolly), Tennessee’s 7th (writ issued after a vacancy), Texas’s 18th (vacated by the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner), and two Florida House seats that were scheduled for special contests in the spring of 2025 [3] [4] [7] [5] [1] [8].
2. The calendar: concrete dates and how they unfold
Arizona’s special process included a special primary on July 15, 2025 and a special general on September 23, 2025, with Federal Register notices setting filing and FEC reporting timetables tied to those dates [2] [3]. Virginia’s 11th was called for September 9, 2025 by the governor to fill the seat left by Connolly’s death [4]. Two Florida special elections were held April 1, 2025 according to aggregated election reporting [1] [8]. Texas’s 18th was set for November 4, 2025 after Governor Greg Abbott called the special election, and because no candidate cleared 50% it advanced to a runoff scheduled for January 31, 2026 [5] [6]. Tennessee’s 7th special general was set for December 2, 2025 after writs and a timeline were announced in July 2025 [7] [6].
3. Runoffs, legal windows and the partisan stakes
Several reporting threads show why these contests vary: Arizona used a two-stage schedule with an explicit primary and general [2], Texas’s statute-free timing meant the governor could delay the special until November — a move criticized by opponents as politically motivated because House control was narrow [5], and Texas’s crowded field required a runoff that extended the final result into January 2026 [6]. The FEC and Federal Register set reporting windows tied to primary and general election dates, underscoring the administrative cadence campaigns must follow [2] [9].
4. Controversies and litigation around scheduling
The calendar has not been purely administrative: Texas Democrats publicly criticized Governor Abbott’s choice to hold the 18th on November 4 instead of sooner, arguing the delay could advantage Republicans in a closely divided House [5]. Arizona’s winner faced a dispute over seating when the House was out of session, producing litigation involving the state attorney general and the winning candidate [3]. These episodes illustrate how scheduling and post-election procedures can become litigation points with policy and partisan implications [3] [5].
5. Limits of the public record and what remains uncertain
The sources document the major special-election dates listed above but do not claim to be exhaustive of every vacancy in 2025; Ballotpedia and election calendars note dates can be scheduled, rescheduled or canceled based on state rules and candidate filings [10] [11]. Reporting also flags special procedural wrinkles — for example, Texas’s lack of a statutory deadline and the resulting political accusations — but the full list of every special election called in 2025 across all states requires consulting state election offices or comprehensive trackers like Ballotpedia, FEC calendars and state filings for final confirmation [11] [9] [8].