Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a special election for the Texas state Senate on Saturday, capturing a seat long held by Republicans in a district former President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in the 2024 election.
Rehmet, a labor union leader and U.S. Air Force veteran, defeated Republican nominee Leigh Wambsganss in the Fort Worth area district by a wide margin. With nearly all ballots counted, Rehmet led by more than 14 percentage points, according to state election data.
The result marks one of the most striking Democratic gains in Texas in recent years and adds to a growing pattern of Democratic overperformance in special elections since Trump returned to the White House. “This win goes to everyday working people,” Rehmet told supporters on Saturday night, framing the race as a referendum on cost of living pressures and public services.
The seat became vacant after Republican Senator Kelly Hancock resigned to accept a statewide post. Hancock had won four consecutive terms with ease, and Republicans have controlled the district for decades.
Read Also: BREAKING: NYC Delivery Workers Get $5M, Jobs Back — Mamdani
While the district includes parts of Tarrant County, which has become more competitive in recent cycles, it remains significantly more conservative than the county as a whole. Trump won Tarrant County by about five points in 2024, after President Joe Biden narrowly carried it in 2020.
Trump personally weighed in on the race hours before polls closed, urging voters on social media to back Wambsganss, whom he praised as a loyal supporter of his Make America Great Again agenda.
Despite that backing, Rehmet consolidated strong support among veterans, organized labor, and education advocates. National Democratic groups including the Democratic National Committee and VoteVets invested heavily in the race. VoteVets said it spent about five hundred thousand dollars on advertising.
Democratic leaders quickly seized on the result as a broader political signal. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin called the outcome “a warning sign to Republicans across the country,” pointing to voter frustration with Republican leadership under the current administration.
Read Also: Polar Vortex Plunges US Into Snow-Ice-Cold Triple Threat
Rehmet centered his campaign on lowering household costs, defending public education, and protecting manufacturing and skilled trade jobs. He currently works as a machinist and has emphasized his background as both a veteran and union member.
The win follows a series of encouraging results for Democrats since Trump took office. The party scored high profile victories in recent governor races in Virginia and New Jersey and has also picked up legislative seats in special elections in Kentucky and Iowa.
Rehmet will serve in the Texas Senate until early January and must win the November general election to retain the seat for a full four year term. The Texas Legislature is not scheduled to reconvene until 2027, and Republicans will still hold a comfortable majority in the chamber.