Democrat Taylor Rehmet has flipped the long-held Republican Texas Senate District 9 seat, winning a special election runoff in northern Tarrant County that includes Fort Worth and nearby suburbs.
Rehmet secured more than 57 % of the vote Saturday against Republican Leigh Wambsganss, marking the first time a Democrat has held the seat since 1991 and coming in a district that President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024.
The race was to fill the unexpired term of GOP Sen. Kelly Hancock, who resigned in June 2025 to take a state office, triggering a special election that began with a multi-candidate field in November and advanced Rehmet and Wambsganss to a January 31, 2026 runoff.
Voter turnout in the low-profile election was modest, but Rehmet’s decisive margin surprised local and national political observers and drew attention to shifting voter dynamics in traditionally conservative suburbs as both parties gear up for the 2026 midterm elections.
Rehmet, an Air Force veteran, union leader and aircraft mechanic, ran on economic issues such as cost of living, public education and job protection, while Wambsganss, a conservative activist and political figure in the region, was supported by major GOP figures and fundraising.