Democrats easily flip Texas senate district Trump carried by 17 points
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This really is going to be a blue wave, huh:
Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a special election for the Texas state Senate on Saturday, flipping a reliably Republican district that President Donald Trump won by 17 points in 2024.
Rehmet, a labor union leader and veteran, easily defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist, in the Fort Worth-area district. With almost all votes counted, Rehmet had a comfortable lead of more than 14 percentage points.
His victory added to Democrats’ record of overperforming in special elections so far this cycle. Democrats said it was further evidence that voters under the second Trump administration are motivated to reject GOP candidates and their policies.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin called it “a warning sign to Republicans across the country.”
Trump posted about the race on his social media platform earlier Saturday, urging voters to get out to support Wambsganss. He called her a successful entrepreneur and “an incredible supporter” of his Make America Great Again movement.
Not every billionaire-aligned Wambsgans(s) can take over in the end, I guess.
Leigh Wambsganss raised nearly $2.3 million for the SD9 district, much of it coming from three billionaire-funded PACs. Taylor Rehmet raised $346,000, most of it coming from donations of $100 or less. His biggest donor gave him $12K, and a bunch of local unions also cut him larger checks.
[image or embed]— Robert Downen (@robertdownen.bsky.social) Jan 31, 2026 at 8:54 PM