Editor鈥檚 note: Results as of 11 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The race to fill a Texas Senate seat representing much of Tarrant County appears to be heading to a runoff, according to early voting results Tuesday night.
Fort Worth Democrat Taylor Rehmet and Southlake Republican Leigh Wambsganss are on track to face each other in a Dec. 13 runoff for the remaining term of District 9, according to the unofficial results.
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/25965060/ Rehmet, an Air Force veteran and union organizer, and Wambsganss, chief communications officer for the Patriot Mobile wireless service provider, received more early votes than Republican John Huffman, former Southlake mayor, the results showed.
Rehmet led with 45.77% of early votes, while Wambsganss received 38.02%. If no one secures over 50%, the two will face each other in the runoff.
The special election was triggered when resigned from the seat to become . That set off a of about five months.
Because the race is to fill a vacant seat, no primary was necessary. The winner will serve the remainder of Hancock鈥檚 term, which ends in January 2027. They鈥檒l have to win reelection to participate in the next Texas legislative session, set for 2027.
Keller resident Carson West, 67, voted first thing in the morning on Election Day. He said he cast his ballot for Huffman because the candidate seems 鈥渇airly conservative,鈥� which West appreciated.
鈥淗e just seemed like the better of the three candidates,鈥� West said, standing outside Keller Town Hall.
Senate District 9 was his primary concern at the ballot box. He said he supported most of the proposed constitutional amendments but the list included 鈥渘othing that really made me remember them.鈥�
Fort Worth resident Alan Brown, 41, said he cast a vote for Rehmet 鈥� not because he was enamored with the Democratic candidate but out of opposition to the Republicans on the ballot. He said he couldn鈥檛 support GOP candidates who oppose reproductive freedom and gender-affirming care for transgender Texans, while supporting tax cuts for wealthy residents.
鈥淚 feel like the Republicans are just rubbing me the wrong way,鈥� Brown said after voting at the Riverside Community Center in east Fort Worth.
While labeling himself 鈥渢echnically a Democrat,鈥� Brown said he typically picks and chooses candidates based on their values rather than party affiliation. In red Tarrant County, he said local Democrats have to match the Republican party in its organizing prowess and high-dollar donors to flip the county blue.
Rehmet ran a relatively low-budget campaign of about $120,000 raised, compared to Huffman鈥檚 and Wambsganss鈥� raised , respectively. The Democrat鈥檚 campaign emphasized workers鈥� rights and was funded mostly by unions and small individual donations. Several Democratic lawmakers made donations in the $1,000 range.
Wambsganss鈥� and Huffman's were largely bankrolled by billionaires.
Mailers from the two Republicans鈥� supporting PACs attacked the other, alternately criticizing Huffman for faltering on conservative issues or alleging that Wambsganss is insincere on GOP talking points.
If Wambsganss wins, Republicans will continue to represent a seat they鈥檝e held since 1991.
Wambsganss centered her campaign on an endorsement from President Donald Trump, labeling herself as 鈥渦ltra-MAGA.鈥� Other endorsements include those from Sen. Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Tarrant County Judge Tim O鈥橦are.
She listed her priorities as lowering property taxes, investing in public safety and border security.
, a committee started by Republican Texas oil tycoons Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, contributed $450,000, and $363,250 came from the , a PAC .
Huffman鈥檚 campaign emphasized lowering property taxes, improving infrastructure and expanding school choice while supporting public school teachers.
His endorsements include those of Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and the Fort Worth Police Officers Association. A majority of Huffman鈥檚 donations came from the , a political action committee in Texas.
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.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
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