Archive · 2 Feb 2026
Democrat Taylor Rehmet Wins Texas Senate Runoff
Taylor Rehmet, a Democrat, won a special election for a Texas state Senate seat.
He beat a Republican candidate who was supported by former President Donald Trump.
This is a big deal because the area has been controlled by Republicans for a long time.
Rehmet is an aircraft mechanic, a union leader, and a veteran.
He will serve until early 2027 but needs to win again in November 2025 to keep the seat for a full four years.
Not many people voted in this election, but his win shows that some people might be changing their minds about who they support.
Taylor Rehmet, a Democrat, won a runoff election for Texas Senate District 9, defeating Trump-endorsed Republican Leigh Wambsganss by over 11 points.
Rehmet is an aircraft mechanic, labor union leader, and US Air Force veteran from a working-class family in Garland, Texas.
The seat has not been held by a Democrat since before 1992, making this a significant victory for the Democratic Party.
Rehmet will serve until January 2027 and must win the November 2025 general election to secure a full four-year term.
The low voter turnout of less than 20% raises questions about the broader implications of the election.
- Who
- Taylor Rehmet, a Democrat, aircraft mechanic, labor union leader, and US Air Force veteran
- What
- Won a runoff election for a Texas state Senate seat
- When
- Saturday (specific date not mentioned)
- Where
- Texas Senate District 9, near Dallas
- Why
- To serve out the remainder of the Senate term until January 2027 and potentially secure a full four-year term in the November 2025 general election
- Candidate
- Taylor Rehmet
- Party
- Democratic
- District
- Texas Senate District 9
- Opponent
- Leigh Wambsganss
- Margin of Victory
- 11 points
- Voter Turnout
- Less than 20%
- Term End
- January 2027
- Next Election
- November 2025
