Erica Lee Carter

Erica Shelwyn Lee Carter (née Lee; born February 2, 1980) is an American politician from the Democratic Party who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 18th congressional district from 2024 to 2025. The daughter of U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, she worked as a teacher and quality coordinator before entering politics, serving on the Board of Trustees of the Harris County Department of Education from 2013 to 2019. In 2016, she ran to replace State Representative Borris Miles but lost when precinct chairs selected Shawn Thierry. After her mother's death in 2024, she initially endorsed Sylvester Turner to succeed Jackson Lee in both the special and general elections. However, she later announced her candidacy for the special election to finish her mother’s term, with Turner, who ran in the general election, withdrawing and endorsing her.