The State Capitol is seen in Austin, Texas, on June 1, 2021.Eric Gay/AP
A Democrat and union leader won a special election on Saturday to represent a Texas state Senate district that Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024.
GOP Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the result, a 57-43 victory for Taylor Rehmet, “a wake-up call for Republicans across Texas” in an early Sunday post on X. Republicans currently hold every statewide elected office in Texas.
“Our voters cannot take anything for granted,” Patrick continued, calling out low voter turnout in special elections.
According to the Texas Tribune, Patrick gave $300,000 to the campaign of Rehmet’s opponent, Leigh Wambsganss, through his PAC, Texas Senate Leadership Fund. Trump also posted multiple get-out-the-vote messages on behalf of Wambsganss on Truth Social in the days leading up to the election.
Rehmet, an Air Force veteran and the leader of his local machinist’s union, spent $242,174—nearly 10 times less than Wambsganss—according to campaign finance reports reviewed by Fort Worth Report.
“It’s clear as day that this disastrous Republican agenda is hurting working families in Texas and across the country, which is why voters in red, blue, and purple districts are putting their faith in candidates like Taylor Rehmet,” Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement. “This overperformance is a warning sign to Republicans across the country.”
Wambsganss is the chief communications officer for Patriot Mobile, a cell phone company that calls itself “America’s ONLY Christian Conservative Wireless Provider.” Wambsganss and Patriot Mobile have helped Republicans place candidates supporting conservative Christian policies on North Texas school boards. This represents part of the state’s push for book bans and dedicated time for prayer in class.
Last November, Rehmet earned nearly 48 percent of the vote, just three percentage points shy of an outright election win, leading to Saturday’s runoff. In that election, he ran against two Republicans, who together split 52 percent of the vote. Rehmet’s victory in the run-off was that much more significant because he faced only Wambsganns.
Rehmet’s win adds to the recent record of Democrat victories in statewide elections—including gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia.
While Democrats have celebrated Rehmet’s win as a harbinger of what’s to come in this year’s midterms, some political observers have cautioned that the result may not signify a broader Republican reckoning.
