Democrats quickly seized on Taylor Rehmet's victory as a sign of their growing strength even in deeply red areas of the country
HOUSTON -- In an upset that rattled Republicans in Texas and beyond, a Democrat decisively won a state legislative special election Saturday in a district around Fort Worth that President Donald Trump carried by more than 17 percentage points just more than a year ago.
The Democrat, Taylor Rehmet, a local union leader and first-time candidate, defeated the Republican, Leigh Wambsganss, by double digits -- 57%-43% -- in the historically conservative district. The contest to fill a state Senate seat had been closely followed by national leaders from both parties as a barometer of potential Republican struggles in this year's midterm elections. It attracted outsize attention after Rehmet, 33, performed far better than expected in the first round of voting in November and ended up in the runoff. Since then, he received a surge of support from Democratic groups, including the Democratic National Committee. Republican leaders, concerned that a defeat could bring an influx of Democratic investment into Texas races in 2026, tried to rally support for Wambsganss. She received an endorsement from Trump and the backing of prominent conservative leaders in Texas, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. The chair of the Republican National Committee met with Wambsganss last week. Wambsganss, a first-time political candidate and a longtime conservative activist, had helped propel a social conservative takeover of several school boards in and around the district in 2022. But last year, more moderate candidates ousted many social conservatives from the boards, suggesting an emerging backlash. Ex // Top Stories How Wiener’s AI safety bill is paving the way for other states Legislators elsewhere are copying and building on SB 53, which the state senator fought to get enacted for more than a year Nearly 100-year-old SF sports bar still evolving under new owners For the first time in its 92-year history, the Final Final sports bar to offer food menu to Cow Hollow customers Word on the Street: A eulogy for the most San Francisco mall Now shuttered, the once-bustling retail hub now stands as a monument to aspirations and generations Democrats quickly seized on Rehmet's victory as a sign of their growing strength even in deeply red areas of the country. "In a Trump +17 district, Republicans had to go all out and still lost this race," Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement."Tonight's results prove that no Republican seat is safe.""November was always going to be a real battle but tonight should hopefully remind us all that we will be fighting against a force that believes they have to win," Luke Macias, a conservative activist and Texas political consultant, said in a social media post.
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