Democrats scored a stunning upset on Saturday in a special election runoff for Texas Senate, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ, giving the party a major boost ahead of the November midterms.
Fort Worth Democrat Taylor Rehmet, a machinist and Air Force veteran, defeated Southlake Republican Leigh Wambsganss to fill the vacant state Senate District 9.
The district favored Trump — who endorsed Wambsganss earlier on Saturday — by 17 points in 2024. The race went to a runoff after none of the candidates were able to clinch a majority in the November election.
Rehmet’s overperformance in the fall stoked concerns for the GOP, and a number of prominent party leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott ®, intervened in the race in an effort to boost Wambsganss.
I hope Republicans are quivering in their boots.
Wambsganss
I know this is a fantasy setting but is the writer even trying with these names?
He forgot the rules of fantasy names. You can add “-onious”, “-ainous”… or “-anus” to just about anything and it becomes magical. Should’ve gone with Wambsgonious instead.
Woah black Betty
Wambz-buh-ganz
I used to work at a place where one of the supervisors had this last name. I thought it was just fun to say.
The seat opened up after Republican state Sen. Kelly Hancock was tapped as acting state comptroller.
So, the problem was created by overreaching Republicans. They shot themselves in the foot. I absolutely love it.
Looking at his website, it appears he’s an actual dem, and not a DINO conservative like Henry Cuellar.
When the blue is from blue collar, you can expect actual social solutions.
Imagine that. People will vote when they have someone worth voting for.
Progressives have been trying to tell centrists this for decades.
No, no everyone else needs to fall in line behind them. It must never be the other way around.
Wonder where all the “progressives can’t win in red states” jerks who just don’t want progressives to be allowed to run anywhere under any circumstances ever went to.
That’s a great question but now is not the time to think about anything. Just do as I say and when my plan blows up in our faces, I’ll blame you for it.
That swing is crazy
Just for fun, I’ll even call it a ‘swang’
25-13 Republicans - Democrats in Texas congress members… maybe 24-14 now.
Hate to be the downer but that would mean 63% of Texas believes Facism is fine
Most elections are not in odd years.
This was an election because they pulled the Republican senator from the district and appointed him to a position believing the district, which went to Trump by 17 points in 2024, was safe.
It went to Rehmet by 14.4 points. That’s a 31.4 point swing.
I think what we’re seeing is that a lot of people refused to see the fascism, and are finally starting to wake up.
This was a special election for one seat. Wait till a proper election like midterms to see an actual review
Not only was this a single special election rather than a statewide vote, but the numbers you cite are wrong because this was for a Texas State Senate seat, not a US House seat
I sort of wanted the TX gerrymandering attemp to go through. It would mean every district could be just a bit tighter in margin and its possible if enough people switch parties, it can flip many seats in TX.
Hate to break it to you but its way more than 63% buddy
We already know that
I suppose, but do we. The article reads like a propaganda piece with no mention of how bad it really is. It’s “your lipstick looks great” but you have 2 black eyes and a swollen broken nose.
Optimistic views are fine, but recognition of realism should also be a part of the measure. Texas got its nose broken, and she put on nice lipstick today
She’s been a beaten wife for a while now who puts on a thick layer of makeup to save face but these last few years there have been cracks in her mask. Glimmers of being fed up with the shit that the current leadership has been forcing down our throat. False optimism does not help but optimism as a way to fortify enough to follow through with ousting the current regime and start repairing the damage caused does.
The fact that a supposed safe district was so thoroughly flipped is a hint towards even more in less safe areas.
If that were true, then Austin wouldn’t have been what it was for awhile. I would say the acceleration of population increase went down around 2016. The “music capital” or whatever they wanted to call it. Freedom arts etc. the acceleration of growth hasn’t hit pre-trump numbers since.
Now maybe it isn’t a way to directly corelate things, but it shows a lack of enthusiasm to go to Texas, and a lack of support for arts there. All tied to the worst governor in the U.S. if we blink and ignore the man who should be in prison Desantis. Both of them should be tried and convicted of human trafficking. Period. But, Texas was moving more modern in the 2000-2010 era to me, and it got fucked by a number of people. But Trump was the nail in the coffin.
We are just trying to dig up a grave now there, which is helpful… but doesn’t mean anything unless it is above 50% to me that we actually have real change. Day by day, sure. Every ounce counts… but full picture is better than focused scope
If that were true, then Austin wouldn’t have been what it was for awhile. I would say the acceleration of population increase went down around 2016.
In what world do you live? Austin has grown like crazy since 2016. Not only is the city itself still growing, but several of its suburbs are consistently among the fastest growing towns in the country
The text you copied says Austins population is growing.
