Editor’s note: This story will be updated over the weekend as election results become available.
Fort Worth Democrat Taylor Rehmet took an early lead in the race for Texas Senate District 9 on Saturday night against Southlake Republican Leigh Wambsganss in a race that has attracted nationwide attention, early results show.
The election sees Rehmet, a veteran and union leader, face off against Wambsganss, a conservative activist and executive of Patriot Mobile, a wireless service provider. The seat has been held by Republicans since 1991.
As of 7 p.m., Rehmet took 56.27% of 45,646 early votes, according to unofficial results from the Tarrant County’s elections office.
Whoever wins the special election will — for the next 11 months — represent the northern half of Tarrant County and parts of Fort Worth. Immediately after the runoff, the two candidates begin campaigning for the March 3 primary ahead of the fall elections.
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.
The district has gone red since 1991, but Democrats are hopeful that Rehmet’s grassroots campaign — coupled with what they see as national unrest over President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy, immigration and international relations — could tip the Senate district in their favor.
Still, 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 (millions) 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.”
A near win
The Democrat’s near-win in November is a telling indicator for Texas and the nation, 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,” he said. “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.”
Such a gain 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, he said.
Rehmet has campaigned on fueling affordable housing initiatives, expanding workers’ rights, supporting fellow veterans and lowering property taxes for working families. He has 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.
“I’ve talked with parents who are doing everything right and still can’t catch up on groceries. Seniors who are choosing between medicine and keeping the lights on,” he previously told the Report. “Young families are wondering if Texas is still a place they can build a future.”
Wambsganss describes herself as “ultra-MAGA” and touts her endorsements from Trump, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare and others. Her campaign has 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.
Regardless of which candidate wins, 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.
“Even if Leigh wins, now it goes to show that this is a competitive area,” Joseph 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.
