Democrat Taylor Rehmet flipped a reliably Republican state Senate district in Texas in Saturday’s special election, continuing a string of surprise victories for Democrats across the U.S. in the year since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
The Republican president immediately distanced himself from the loss in a district he’d won by 17 points in 2024.
鈥淚鈥檓 not involved in that. That鈥檚 a local Texas race,” Trump told reporters Sunday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Yet just a day before the race, Trump had heaped praise on Republican contender Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist and entrepreneur, on his social media platform, declaring that she would be 鈥渁 GREAT Candidate and has my Complete and Total Endorsement.鈥� A longer post came later, in which he urged Texans to get out and vote, describing Wambsganss as a successful entrepreneur and 鈥渁n incredible supporter鈥� of his Make America Great Again movement.
Despite the plugs, Wambsganss was easily trounced in the Fort Worth-area district by Rehmet, a labor union leader and veteran, for a partial term ending in early January. With almost all votes counted, Rehmet was leading by more than 14 percentage points.
鈥淭his win goes to everyday working people,鈥� Rehmet told supporters.
Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the outcome 鈥渁 wake-up call for Republicans across Texas,鈥� where the GOP controls every statewide office.
鈥淥ur voters cannot take anything for granted,鈥� Patrick wrote on X, while noting low-turnout special elections are always unpredictable. 鈥淚 know the energy and strength the Republican grassroots in Texas possess. We will come out fighting with a new resolve, and we will take this seat back in November.鈥�
Rehmet’s victory added to the Democrats鈥� record of overperforming in special elections so far this cycle, beginning in March 鈥� when they prevailed in a Pennsylvania legislative district made up of suburbanites and farmers that 鈥� and continuing through to November, when they from Maine to California.
And Zohran Mamdani, an unapologetic Democratic Socialist, of New York City, a Democratic stronghold that saw the highest voter turnout in a mayor’s race in 50 years.
The showings come as Trump鈥檚 approval ratings with the public at around 40%. A January found that a majority of U.S. adults disapprove of the way he’s handling foreign policy, trade negotiations and immigration, as well as the economy.
Democrats said Saturday’s results in Texas were further evidence that voters under the second Trump administration are motivated to reject GOP candidates and their policies.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder said Rehmet won by standing with working people and talking to Texans about the future.
鈥淭his win shows what is possible in Texas with strong organizing, great candidates and strategic investments,” he said in a statement. 鈥淧eople are noticing that Democrats have the workers鈥� backs and are delivering results.鈥�
Democrats’ other state victories since 2025 included wins for governor in and and in special elections in Kentucky and Iowa. And, while Republican won a Tennessee special election for a U.S. House seat, the relatively slim margin of victory gave Democrats hope for this fall鈥檚 .
With that backdrop in mind, Trump and have pushed states to to Republicans’ advantage headed into those contests, which will determine partisan control in Washington. Some Democratic states 鈥� most notably 鈥� have pushed back with their own redistricting efforts.
The Texas Senate seat was open because the four-term GOP incumbent, Kelly Hancock, resigned to take a statewide office. Hancock easily won election each time he ran for the office, and Republicans have held the seat for decades.
The district is redder than its home, Tarrant County. Trump won the county by 5 points in 2024, but Democratic President Joe Biden carried it in 2020 by about 1,800 votes out of more than 834,000 cast.
But Rehmet had support from national organizations, including the DNC and VoteVets, a veterans group that said it spent $500,000 on ads. Rehmet, who served in the Air Force and works as a machinist, focused on lowering costs, supporting public education and protecting jobs.
Wambsganss called Saturday’s result 鈥渁 wakeup call for Republicans in Tarrant County, Texas, and the nation鈥� and warned her party not to be complacent.
鈥淭he Democrats were energized,” she said in a statement. “Too many Republicans stayed home.鈥�
Rehmet鈥檚 victory allows him to serve only until early January. He will face Wambsganss again in the November general election to decide who occupies the seat for a full four-year term. The Texas Legislature is not set to reconvene until 2027, and the GOP still will have a comfortable majority.
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Will Weissert contributed to this report from Palm Beach, Florida.
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