Editor’s note: This story was updated at 6:22 p.m. on Feb. 1 to reflect unofficial results.
Fort Worth Democrat Taylor Rehmet flipped the historically red Texas Senate District 9 race against Southlake Republican Leigh Wambsganss, unofficial results show.
Rehmet, a veteran and union leader, faced off against Wambsganss, a conservative activist and executive of Patriot Mobile, a wireless service provider, in the special election that attracted nationwide attention.
As of midnight on Saturday, Rehmet had about 57% of the vote, according to unofficial returns from the Tarrant County elections office. About 15% of registered voters in the district cast ballots, according to the results.
District 9, which the GOP has held since 1991, represents a large swath of north and west Tarrant County. Immediately after the runoff, the two candidates begin campaigning for the March 3 primary ahead of the fall elections.
“Tonight, this win goes to everyday working people,” Rehmet said as he claimed victory just after 11 p.m. He addressed attendees at his watch party at Nickel City in Fort Worth’s Near Southside.
“We have to continue to have our energy. We have a lot more work to do,” Rehmet said just before 11 p.m. in an address to attendees at his watch party at Nickel City in Fort Worth’s Near Southside.
“I did not do this alone. I did it because (of) all of you showing up,” he said. “I know that this energy will propel us forward, not just in this race, in other races.”
Wambsganss told the Report she expected the results, as she feels Republicans generally underperform in midterms and special elections. She said nothing changes, as “November is still the goal.”
“Republicans need to wake up and work harder,” she said after Rehmet took an early lead. “I have an army working, but I will tell you, it’s the same people over and over. We need more troops.”
During her watch party at Niki’s Italian Bistro and Piano Bar in North Richland Hills, the crowd began thinning out around 9 p.m. Around 10:30 p.m., the party began wrapping up, although Wambsganss’ campaign manager told the Report they had not yet conceded.
The Democrat’s lead came hours after a midday Truth Social post by President Donald Trump encouraged Tarrant residents to vote for Wambsganss. Wambsganss received the president’s endorsement during the summer and campaigned as “ultra-MAGA.”
After claiming victory, Rehmet told reporters he plans to remain focused on building relationships with voters in the lead-up to November. He doesn’t “take anything for granted,” he said.
“The plan is: we stick to what we’ve been doing, meeting folks at the doors, talking with them — not at them — and listening,” Rehmet said. “That’s what really helps us connect with voters and learn the issues that we need to fight for.”
Rehmet views the results as a testament to his and the community’s hard work and said the election “goes beyond partisan lines.”
“We can talk about partisanship all we want. I was focused on unity, bringing people together,” he said.
Ben Winter and his wife were among many Tarrant County voters who turned out to vote on Election Day.
They were brought to the ballot box by a desire for change, Winter said. Their votes went to Rehmet, who they thought could “make a dent” in what Winter sees as the Republican establishment.
“We need our children to be taken care of,” he said. “The public school system is a mess right now, and there’s no guarantee that our children are going to have a nice future unless we stand up and make a change.”
Rehmet made increasing public school funding a priority of his campaign, while Wambsganss advocated for “advancing parental rights and transparency in education” and expanding school choice.
Over 45,000 residents voted early in the runoff election — about 20,000 fewer than in November. Early voting was impacted significantly last weekend by hazardous winter weather, which shut down all polling locations on Jan. 25 and affected opening hours Jan. 23-27.
The seat was previously held by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned to become acting state comptroller. The winner of the Nov. 3 election will serve a four-year term.
In November, Rehmet landed about 2.5 percentage points shy of winning outright but failed to get the majority vote as the vote was split with Wambsganss and a third candidate.
Republicans have poured millions into securing the seat. Wambsganss outspent Rehmet’s $242,174 by $2 million, according to campaign finance reports.
“This election is being called the canary in the coal mine because Democrats across the nation are watching this race,” said Wambsganss, addressing Tarrant County Republicans during a Jan. 8 local GOP executive committee meeting. “If Taylor can win it in January, you’re going to have 600 million (dollars) fly into Texas against every single judge, against our governor, lieutenant governor.”
Wambsganss saw 75% of her funding come from political entities and action committees, or PACs.
At the Keller Town Hall on Saturday morning, North Richland Hills resident Mark Striegel said he didn’t think twice about casting his vote for Wambsganss. The 62-year-old said he typically votes for conservative candidates and appreciated Wambsganss’ consistent Republican track record.
“We are Texans. We aren’t from any place else, and we don’t want these other people in here. Period,” Striegel said, although he declined to elaborate.
Rehmet mostly relied on small individual donations. About 20% of his funding came from PACs.
Among those supporting him on Saturday were North Richland Hills resident Margaret and Zack Walters.
The couple voted at the Southlake Town Hall just before a breakfast date, saying they wanted to help him across the finish line as runoffs typically have low voter turnout.
“A fraction of the people actually show up for what is a pretty critical seat in our state,” Margaret Walters said. “We thought it was really important to make sure that we did it.”
The couple shared a half-hour talk with Rehmet when he called their house after the November election, and they got to know him on a “more personal level” that solidified their confidence in the candidate, Zack Walters said.
He’s hopeful that if Rehmet wins, the candidate’s “more centrist” attitude and viewpoints will help push past the hyperpartisanship in Austin. That’s the kind of senator Tarrant County needs, he said.
“It’s heartbreaking and frustrating because as soon as you say you’re a Democrat or a Republican, people put you in this bucket of being crazy and ‘You must like this or this,’” Zack Walters said. “You can have these mixed viewpoints and be more centrist.”
Watauga resident Stacey Martinez, 46, cast her ballot in the final hour before polls closed. She and her husband always vote on Election Day, she said.
Standing outside Watauga Town Hall, Martinez declined to discuss specific policies or campaign priorities in front of her two young daughters but said she voted for Wambsganss. She said she used to vote for Democrats but would never have considered Rehmet.
“They’re crazy now, that’s why. They’re absolutely insane,” Martinez said of Democrats. “Basically, I just vote Republican now. I can’t stand what they push on children.”
Democratic gains in Tarrant County
Rehmet’s gains in Tarrant County, which is commonly regarded as one of the nation’s largest Republican counties, does not bode well for the GOP this November and beyond, Keith Gaddie, a political professor at Texas Christian University, previously told the Report.
“Whoever wins will declare that it’s a bellwether, and they will declare they’ve got a mandate,” Gaddie said ahead of the election. “But, irrespective of who wins this runoff, if I were the Republicans, I’d be looking at what’s happened in Tarrant County, and I’d be worried.”
Rehmet campaigned on fueling affordable housing initiatives, expanding workers’ rights, supporting fellow veterans and lowering property taxes for working families. He garnered endorsements from several state Democrats including Rep. Chris Turner and former Sen. Wendy Davis, progressive local politicians, as well as groups including VoteVets, Texas Young Democrats and IAM Union.
Wambsganss touted her endorsements from Trump, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare and others. Her campaign focused on securing the border, supporting Texas’ oil industry, defending gun rights and lowering property taxes through the homestead exemption.
Fort Worth resident Kenroy Joseph, 23, also voted at the Summerglen Library Saturday afternoon, after waiting about 45 minutes in line. He said he felt heartened by the turnout he witnessed.
“There are a lot of people that feel that Fort Worth should be a certain way that just don’t vote, for one reason or another,” Joseph said.
He’s registered as an independent voter but typically supports Democratic candidates, Joseph said. He cast his ballot Saturday for Rehmet because he believes the union leader is more pragmatic than Wambsganss.
Joseph said he hopes that Rehmet’s grassroots campaign inspires more people to consider running for office. As Tarrant County’s political makeup evolves, local elections need more quality candidates from both parties to drive change and improve quality of life for residents, he said.
Giovannia Fleissmer typically votes for Republicans but said she ultimately voted for Rehmet after weeks of candidate mailings. She wants to know why Tarrant can’t just be purple instead of strictly red or blue.
“I don’t think Tarrant County knows where it is politically,” Fleissmer said. “I think you have too many people here that work daily for their living, and I think that gives you a workman-like mentality, which is actually why I live in Fort Worth.”
Cecilia Lenzen and Drew Shaw are government accountability reporters for the Fort Worth Report. Contact them at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org and drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org.
Nicole Williams Quezada is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at Nicole.williams@fortworthreport.org.
