Democrat Taylor Rehmet has pulled off a major political upset in Texas, winning a special election runoff for the state Senate and flipping a seat that President Donald Trump had carried by 17 points in the 2024 presidential election.
Rehmet defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist backed by Trump, in the Fort Worth–area 9th Senate District. With nearly all votes counted, Rehmet secured a lead of more than 14 percentage points, marking one of the Democrats’ strongest special election performances during Trump’s second term.
Following the victory, Rehmet said, "This win goes to everyday, working people."
This win goes to everyday, working people.I’ll see you out there! pic.twitter.com/kPWzjn2LhW
— Taylor Rehmet (@TaylorRehmetTX) February 1, 2026
The seat had been held by Republicans for decades and became vacant after four-term GOP senator Kelly Hancock resigned to take up a statewide office. Trump made a late push for Wambsganss, urging supporters to back her through multiple posts on social media, but the effort failed to stem a sharp swing toward the Democrats.
Democratic leaders said the result added to a pattern of strong special election showings since Trump returned to the White House, viewing it as a sign of voter dissatisfaction with Republican policies ahead of upcoming midterm contests.
Who is Taylor Rehmet?
Taylor Rehmet, born in 1992 or 1993, is an aircraft mechanic, labor union leader and Air Force veteran who will represent Texas Senate District 9 as a Democrat. He was born in Garland, Texas, to a family with working-class roots—his father was an airline mechanic and his mother worked in a salon.
Rehmet grew up in a Republican household but joined the US Air Force at the age of 19, serving four years on active duty. After leaving the military, he joined defense contractor Lockheed Martin as an aircraft mechanic in Fort Worth.
He later rose through the ranks of organized labor and was elected president of the local and state chapters of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, building a profile as a union leader focused on jobs, wages and worker protections.
Following Kelly Hancock’s resignation, Rehmet entered the race to fill the remainder of the Senate term ending in January 2027. In the November 2025 special election, he topped the field with 48 per cent of the vote, advancing to a runoff against Wambsganss. The January 31, 2026 runoff ended in a decisive victory for Rehmet, giving Democrats a rare win in a traditionally Republican district.
Rehmet will serve only until early January and must win the November general election to secure a full four-year term. While Republicans retain a comfortable majority in the Texas legislature, Democrats say his victory adds momentum as they look toward the next election cycle.
