E-Paper
Taylor Rehmet wins Texas Senate seat, defeats GOP in Fort Worth
Democrat Taylor Rehmet wins special election for Texas Senate, flipping a Trump-won district by 17 points.
Democrat Taylor Rehmet has won a special election for the Texas state Senate, flipping a district that President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024, according to ABC News.
Rehmet, a labor union leader and military veteran, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist, in the Fort Worth-area district. With nearly all votes counted, Rehmet held a lead of more than 14 percentage points, marking a decisive victory.
The seat became available after four-term Republican Kelly Hancock resigned to take a statewide office. Hancock had won comfortably in previous elections, and a Republican had held the district for decades.
National reactions
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin called Rehmet’s win “a warning sign to Republicans across the country,” mentioning what Democrats see as voter resistance to GOP policies under the second Trump administration.
President Trump weighed in on the race earlier Saturday, urging voters to support Wambsganss. According to ABC News, He described her as “an incredible supporter” of his Make America Great Again movement and praised her success as an entrepreneur.
Rehmet also received support from national organizations, including the DNC and veterans’ group VoteVets, which reportedly spent $500,000 on ads for the campaign.
What’s next
While Rehmet now holds the seat, he will serve only until early January and must win the November general election to secure a full four-year term.
The Texas Legislature is not scheduled to reconvene until 2027, and Republicans still maintain a comfortable majority in the state Senate.
Democrats have cited their recent election performances in Kentucky, Iowa, Virginia, and New Jersey as signs of momentum heading into upcoming midterms. The party is aiming to gain control of the House and possibly the Senate, fueled by concerns over the economy and frustration with Trump’s immigration policies.
