Democrats scored a stunning upset Saturday in a special election runoff for Texas state Senate, according to Decision Desk HQ, giving the party a major boost ahead of the November midterms.
Fort Worth Democrat Taylor Rehmet, a machinist and Air Force veteran, defeated Southlake Republican Leigh Wambsganss to fill the vacant state Senate District 9.
The district favored President Trump — who endorsed Wambsganss earlier Saturday — by 17 points in 2024. The race went to a runoff after none of the candidates were able to clinch a majority in the November election.
Rehmet’s overperformance in the fall stoked concerns for the GOP, and a number of prominent party leaders, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), intervened in the race in an effort to boost Wambsganss.
“When a grassroots union organizer like Taylor Rehmet overperforms by almost 20 points and forces a runoff, it couldn’t be any clearer that voters are tired of Republican bullshit,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder said in a statement after the November race.
Rehmet’s victory is sure to fuel Democratic optimism heading into the midterms, where the party is hoping to flip the House and potentially even the Senate amid growing anxiety over the economy and anger over Trump’s immigration policies.
The seat opened up after Republican state Sen. Kelly Hancock was tapped as acting state comptroller.
XcuseMeMisISpeakJive on February 1st, 2026 at 05:16 UTC »
I think they're underestimating how angry and fed up people are.
The_Phasers on February 1st, 2026 at 05:10 UTC »
57.2%D - 42.8%R with 95% of the vote in.
This was a Trump +18 district in 2024.
What an upset. That’s a swing of 32 pts.
kootles10 on February 1st, 2026 at 05:09 UTC »
From the article:
Democrats scored a stunning upset on Saturday in a special election runoff for Texas Senate, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ, giving the party a major boost ahead of the November midterms.
Fort Worth Democrat Taylor Rehmet, a machinist and Air Force veteran, defeated Southlake Republican Leigh Wambsganss to fill the vacant state Senate District 9.
The district favored President Trump — who endorsed Wambsganss earlier on Saturday — by 18 points in 2024. The race went to a runoff after none of the candidates were able to clinch a majority in the November election.
Rehmet’s overperformance in the fall stoked concerns for the GOP, and a number of prominent party leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott (R), intervened in the race in an effort to boost Wambsganss.