Democrat Taylor Rehmet flipped a reliably Republican state Senate district in Texas in Saturday’s particular election, persevering with a string of shock victories for Democrats throughout the U.S. within the 12 months since Donald Trump returned to the White Home.
The Republican president instantly distanced himself from the loss. It’s a district he had gained by 17 factors in 2024.
At Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, Trump instructed reporters, “I’m not concerned in that. That’s a neighborhood Texas race.”
Only a day earlier, nonetheless, he had used his social media platform to induce voters to assist the Republican candidate, conservative activist Leigh Wambsganns. He referred to as her a profitable entrepreneur and “an unimaginable supporter” of his Make America Nice Once more motion.
Rehmet, a labor union chief and veteran, defeated Wambsganss simply within the Fort Value-area district. With virtually all votes counted, Rehmet was main by greater than 14 proportion factors — a greater than 30-point distinction.
“This win goes to on a regular basis working folks,” Rehmet instructed supporters.
Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick referred to as it “a wake-up name for Republicans throughout Texas,” the place the GOP controls each statewide workplace.
“Our voters can not take something as a right,” Patrick wrote on the social platform X, whereas noting low-turnout particular elections are all the time unpredictable. “I do know the power and energy the Republican grassroots in Texas possess. We’ll come out preventing with a brand new resolve, and we’ll take this seat again in November.”
Rehmet’s victory added to Democrats’ file of overperforming in particular elections thus far this cycle, starting in March — once they prevailed in a Pennsylvania legislative district made up of suburbanites and farmers that Democrats hadn’t held in a century — and persevering with via to November, once they dominated candidate and poll contests from Maine to California.
And Zohran Mamdani, an unapologetic Democratic Socialist, was elected mayor of New York Metropolis, a Democratic stronghold that noticed the best voter turnout in a mayor’s race in 50 years.
The showings come as Trump’s approval scores with the general public maintain regular at round 40%. A January AP-NORC ballot discovered {that a} majority of U.S. adults disapprove of the way in which he’s dealing with international coverage, commerce negotiations and immigration, in addition to the economic system.
Democrats mentioned Saturday’s leads to Texas have been additional proof that voters beneath the second Trump administration are motivated to reject GOP candidates and their insurance policies.
Texas Democratic Celebration Chair Kendall Scudder mentioned Rehmet gained by standing with working folks and speaking to Texans concerning the future.
“This win reveals what is feasible in Texas with sturdy organizing, nice candidates and strategic investments,” he mentioned in a press release. “Persons are noticing that Democrats have the employees’ backs and are delivering outcomes.”
Democrats’ different state victories since 2025 included wins for governor in Virginia and New Jersey and in particular elections in Kentucky and Iowa. And, whereas Republican Matt Van Epps gained a Tennessee particular election for a U.S. Home seat, the comparatively slim margin of victory gave Democrats hope for this fall’s midterms.
With that backdrop in thoughts, Trump and Vice President JD Vance have pushed states to redraw their political maps to Republicans’ benefit headed into these contests, which is able to decide partisan management in Washington. Some Democratic states — most notably California — have pushed again with their very own redistricting efforts.
The Texas Senate seat was open as a result of the four-term GOP incumbent, Kelly Hancock, resigned to take a statewide workplace. Hancock simply gained election every time he ran for the workplace, and Republicans have held the seat for many years.
The district is redder than its residence, Tarrant County. Trump gained the county by 5 factors in 2024, however Democratic President Joe Biden carried it in 2020 by about 1,800 votes out of greater than 834,000 solid.
However Rehmet had assist from nationwide organizations, together with the DNC and VoteVets, a veterans group that mentioned it spent $500,000 on advertisements. Rehmet, who served within the Air Power and works as a machinist, centered on reducing prices, supporting public schooling and defending jobs.
Wambsganss warned her celebration to not be complacent.
“The Democrats have been energized,” she mentioned in a press release. “Too many Republicans stayed residence.”
Rehmet’s victory permits him to serve solely till early January, and he’ll face Wambganss once more within the November common election to maintain the seat for a full four-year time period. The Texas Legislature isn’t set to reconvene till 2027, and the GOP nonetheless may have a cushty majority.
Will Weissert contributed to this report from Palm Seashore, Florida.
