Editor鈥檚 note: This story was updated at 6:22 p.m. on Feb. 1 to reflect unofficial results.
Fort Worth Democrat Taylor Rehmet flipped the historically red Texas Senate District 9 race against Southlake Republican Leigh Wambsganss, unofficial results show.
Rehmet, a veteran and union leader, faced off against Wambsganss, a conservative activist and executive of Patriot Mobile, a wireless service provider, in the special election that attracted nationwide attention.
As of midnight on Saturday, Rehmet had about 57% of the vote, according to unofficial returns from the Tarrant County elections office. About 15% of registered voters in the district cast ballots, according to the results.
District 9, which the GOP has held since 1991, represents a large swath of north and west Tarrant County. Immediately after the runoff, the two candidates begin campaigning for the March 3 primary ahead of the fall elections.
鈥淭onight, this win goes to everyday working people,鈥� Rehmet said as he claimed victory just after 11 p.m. He addressed attendees at his watch party at Nickel City in Fort Worth鈥檚 Near Southside.
鈥淲e have to continue to have our energy. We have a lot more work to do,鈥� Rehmet said just before 11 p.m. in an address to attendees at his watch party at Nickel City in Fort Worth鈥檚 Near Southside.
鈥淚 did not do this alone. I did it because (of) all of you showing up,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know that this energy will propel us forward, not just in this race, in other races.鈥�
Wambsganss told the Report she expected the results, as she feels Republicans generally underperform in midterms and special elections. She said nothing changes, as 鈥淣ovember is still the goal.鈥�
鈥淩epublicans need to wake up and work harder,鈥� she said after Rehmet took an early lead. 鈥淚 have an army working, but I will tell you, it鈥檚 the same people over and over. We need more troops.鈥�
During her watch party at Niki鈥檚 Italian Bistro and Piano Bar in North Richland Hills, the crowd began thinning out around 9 p.m. Around 10:30 p.m., the party began wrapping up, although Wambsganss鈥� campaign manager told the Report they had not yet conceded.
The Democrat鈥檚 lead came hours after a midday Truth Social post by President Donald Trump encouraged Tarrant residents to vote for Wambsganss. Wambsganss received the president鈥檚 endorsement during the summer and campaigned as 鈥渦ltra-MAGA.鈥�
After claiming victory, Rehmet told reporters he plans to remain focused on building relationships with voters in the lead-up to November. He doesn鈥檛 鈥渢ake anything for granted,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he plan is: we stick to what we鈥檝e been doing, meeting folks at the doors, talking with them 鈥� not at them 鈥� and listening,鈥� Rehmet said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what really helps us connect with voters and learn the issues that we need to fight for.鈥�
Rehmet views the results as a testament to his and the community鈥檚 hard work and said the election 鈥済oes beyond partisan lines.鈥�
鈥淲e can talk about partisanship all we want. I was focused on unity, bringing people together,鈥� he said.
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 鈥渕ake a dent鈥� in what Winter sees as the Republican establishment.
鈥淲e need our children to be taken care of,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he public school system is a mess right now, and there鈥檚 no guarantee that our children are going to have a nice future unless we stand up and make a change.鈥�
Rehmet made increasing public school funding a priority of his campaign, while Wambsganss advocated for 鈥渁dvancing parental rights and transparency in education鈥� and expanding school choice.
Over 45,000 residents voted early in the runoff election 鈥� 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 , who resigned to become . The winner of the Nov. 3 election will serve a four-year term.
In November, Rehmet landed of winning outright but failed to get the majority vote as the vote was split with Wambsganss and a third candidate.
Republicans . Wambsganss outspent Rehmet鈥檚 $242,174 by $2 million, according to campaign finance reports.
鈥淭his election is being called the canary in the coal mine because Democrats across the nation are watching this race,鈥� said Wambsganss, addressing Tarrant County Republicans during a Jan. 8 local GOP executive committee meeting. 鈥淚f Taylor can win it in January, you鈥檙e going to have 600 million (dollars) fly into Texas against every single judge, against our governor, lieutenant governor.鈥�
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鈥檛 think twice about casting his vote for Wambsganss. The 62-year-old said he typically votes for conservative candidates and appreciated Wambsganss鈥� consistent Republican track record.
鈥淲e are Texans. We aren鈥檛 from any place else, and we don鈥檛 want these other people in here. Period,鈥� 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.
鈥淎 fraction of the people actually show up for what is a pretty critical seat in our state,鈥� Margaret Walters said. 鈥淲e thought it was really important to make sure that we did it.鈥�
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 鈥渕ore personal level鈥� that solidified their confidence in the candidate, Zack Walters said.
He鈥檚 hopeful that if Rehmet wins, the candidate鈥檚 鈥渕ore centrist鈥� attitude and viewpoints will help push past the hyperpartisanship in Austin. That鈥檚 the kind of senator Tarrant County needs, he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 heartbreaking and frustrating because as soon as you say you鈥檙e a Democrat or a Republican, people put you in this bucket of being crazy and 鈥榊ou must like this or this,鈥欌�� Zack Walters said. 鈥淵ou can have these mixed viewpoints and be more centrist.鈥�
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.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e crazy now, that鈥檚 why. They鈥檙e absolutely insane,鈥� Martinez said of Democrats. 鈥淏asically, I just vote Republican now. I can鈥檛 stand what they push on children.鈥�
Democratic gains in Tarrant County
Rehmet鈥檚 gains in Tarrant County, which is commonly regarded as one of the nation鈥檚 largest Republican counties, does not bode well for the GOP this November and beyond, Keith Gaddie, a political professor at Texas Christian University, previously told the Report.
鈥淲hoever wins will declare that it鈥檚 a bellwether, and they will declare they鈥檝e got a mandate,鈥� Gaddie said ahead of the election. 鈥淏ut, irrespective of who wins this runoff, if I were the Republicans, I鈥檇 be looking at what鈥檚 happened in Tarrant County, and I鈥檇 be worried.鈥�
Rehmet campaigned on fueling affordable housing initiatives, expanding workers鈥� rights, supporting fellow veterans and lowering property taxes for working families. He garnered endorsements from several state Democrats including Rep. Chris Turner and former Sen. Wendy Davis, progressive local politicians, as well as groups including , and .
Wambsganss touted her endorsements from Trump, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Tarrant County Judge Tim O鈥橦are and others. Her securing the border, supporting Texas鈥� 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.
鈥淭here are a lot of people that feel that Fort Worth should be a certain way that just don鈥檛 vote, for one reason or another,鈥� Joseph said.
He鈥檚 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.
Joseph said he hopes that Rehmet鈥檚 grassroots campaign inspires more people to consider running for office. As Tarrant County鈥檚 political makeup evolves, local elections need more quality candidates from both parties to drive change and improve quality of life for residents, he 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鈥檛 just be purple instead of strictly red or blue.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Tarrant County knows where it is politically,鈥� Fleissmer said. 鈥淚 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.鈥�
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.
Nicole Williams Quezada is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at Nicole.williams@fortworthreport.org.
