Democrat flips long-held Republican state Senate seat in Tarrant County

Saturday's special election results seen as potential bellwether for November midterms

Feb. 1, 2026 at 11:31am

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In a closely watched special election runoff, Democrat Taylor Rehmet defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss to flip Texas's Senate District 9, which covers most of Tarrant County. The race garnered national attention, with former President Trump backing Wambsganss. Rehmet, a union leader and Lockheed Martin employee, will hold the seat until January 2027, when the November general election winner will take over after a rematch between the two candidates.

Why it matters

The Tarrant County-based race is being viewed as a potential bellwether for the 2026 midterm elections, with both parties closely watching the results. Tarrant County has long been a Republican stronghold, making Rehmet's victory particularly significant. Democrats are hoping the win signals a broader shift in the county and state, while Republicans are vowing to win back the seat in November.

The details

Rehmet, a union leader and airplane mechanic, flipped the district by 14 points in the special runoff election, after Republican Kelly Hancock won the seat by 20 points in 2022. Former President Trump had campaigned for Rehmet's opponent, Wambsganss, who works at the conservative Christian phone company Patriot Mobile.

  • The special election runoff took place on Saturday, February 1, 2026.
  • Rehmet will hold the Senate District 9 seat until January 2027, when the November 2026 general election winner will take over.

The players

Taylor Rehmet

A union leader and airplane mechanic at Lockheed Martin who won the special election runoff for Texas's Senate District 9, flipping a long-held Republican seat.

Leigh Wambsganss

A Republican who works at the conservative Christian phone company Patriot Mobile and was backed by former President Trump in the special election runoff.

Jim Riddlesperger

A political science professor at TCU who commented on the significance of the Tarrant County race as a potential bellwether for the 2026 midterm elections.

Allison Campolo

The chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party, who said the win is "absolutely a marker of what's to come" in November for the county and state.

Tim Davis

The chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party, who said he doesn't think Saturday's loss means anything in relation to the November general election.

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What they’re saying

“Tonight is a wakeup call for Republicans in Tarrant County, Texas, and the nation. The Democrats were energized. Too many Republicans stayed home.”

— Leigh Wambsganss

“I 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.”

— Dan Patrick, Lt. Gov. of Texas

“This is right versus wrong. This is about public school funding. This is about helping working folks. This is about lowering costs.”

— Taylor Rehmet

“Tonight's results prove that no Republican seat is safe. From now until November, Democrats are keeping our foot on the gas and organizing and competing everywhere, including in Texas and the rest of the Sun Belt.”

— Ken Martin, DNC Chair

“I think tonight in a highly red area in North Fort Worth turning blue – for whatever reason that may be, Republicans not coming out or Democrats overly coming out – that is going to give us the wisdom and the IDs to help elect people Tarrant County-wide.”

— Chris Nettles, Fort Worth City Council member

What’s next

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The takeaway

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