Lead: On January 31, 2026, Democrat Taylor Rehmet won the special runoff for Texas Senate District 9 in Tarrant County, defeating Republican Leigh Wambsganss in what officials report as a complete but unofficial count. Rehmet, a Fort Worth union president, received 54,267 votes (about 57%), while Wambsganss, a conservative activist, garnered 40,598 votes (about 43%). The contest filled the seat vacated by Sen. Kelly Hancock and drew high attention and turnout in the state’s largest Republican county. Parties and national groups framed the result as both a local upset and a test of broader political trends ahead of November.
Key Takeaways
- Taylor Rehmet won the January 31, 2026 special runoff for Texas Senate District 9 with 54,267 votes (≈57%), versus Leigh Wambsganss’s 40,598 votes (≈43%).
- The race followed Sen. Kelly Hancock’s resignation; the winner will serve the remainder of a term that expires at the end of December 2026.
- More than 45,600 voters cast ballots early in the runoff; some polling sites reported waits of roughly 45 minutes on Election Day.
- Rehmet previously led a three-way November special election with 46% and faced Wambsganss after the other Republican, John Huffman, finished third.
- The Democratic National Committee and other national actors invested in turnout; President Donald Trump and state GOP leaders also campaigned on behalf of Wambsganss.
- This result guarantees a rematch in November for a full four-year term beginning January 2027 when the Legislature reconvenes.
Background
The Senate District 9 seat opened after Sen. Kelly Hancock resigned to become acting Texas comptroller, prompting a special election in November and a Jan. 31 runoff. District 9 centers on Fort Worth and its suburbs inside Tarrant County, the nation’s largest county by Republican registration, making the seat a high-profile target for both parties. Historically, Republicans have dominated local and countywide contests, but recent cycles have seen Democrats invest resources across the Sun Belt to contest suburban voters.
In the November special election, Taylor Rehmet, a union president from Fort Worth, captured 46% in a three-way field that split Republican voters between Leigh Wambsganss and John Huffman. That result forced a runoff between Rehmet and Wambsganss, who had campaigned as a longtime conservative activist. National parties and outside groups viewed the contest as a gauge of enthusiasm and organizational strength ahead of the 2026 general election.
Main Event
On Jan. 31, election officials reported a complete but unofficial tally showing Rehmet ahead with 54,267 votes to Wambsganss’s 40,598. Polling locations across Keller, Southlake and North Richland Hills experienced some of the longest lines, and the Tarrant County elections website logged typical waits of about 45 minutes in the busiest sites. Officials said more than 45,600 voters cast early ballots despite chilly, wintry weather leading into Election Day.
Both campaigns ran aggressive voter-contact operations in the weeks before the runoff. The Democratic National Committee reported deploying resources and volunteers to boost turnout for Rehmet, while Republican leaders, including former President Donald Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott, publicly urged voters to support Wambsganss. Abbott told local media he believed the GOP turnout effort would prevail, framing the race as a voter-mobilization test.
Campaign messaging diverged sharply: Rehmet’s team emphasized working-family issues and local economic concerns, while Wambsganss focused on conservative priorities and warning voters about national Democratic policies. Local voters interviewed at busy polling places cited civics and issue-driven motives for waiting in line, with some saying they would have waited hours to cast a ballot.
Analysis & Implications
Rehmet’s margin — roughly 14 percentage points — represents a notable swing in a county long considered reliably Republican. The result suggests that targeted organizing and turnout operations, especially in suburban precincts around Fort Worth, can overcome registration advantages when voters are engaged. For Democrats, the win is a proof-of-concept for investment in down-ballot contests in the Sun Belt; for Republicans, it underscores vulnerability in suburban districts where turnout and messaging can shift outcomes.
National implications depend on whether this runoff reflects a localized dynamic or a broader trend. Parties frequently use special elections to test messaging and field operations; Democrats will likely point to this result as evidence that their field infrastructure can produce wins in hostile territory. Republicans will examine where their turnout operation underperformed — particularly Election Day performance — and consider tactical adjustments before November.
The immediate legislative impact is limited because the Texas Legislature is not in session this year; the winner will serve the remainder of Hancock’s term through December 2026. Politically, however, the seat matters as a signal ahead of the 2026 cycle: the victor’s incumbency advantage could change resource flows, candidate recruitment, and national attention for the district’s November contest for a full term beginning January 2027.
Comparison & Data
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Taylor Rehmet (D) | 54,267 | ≈57% |
| Leigh Wambsganss (R) | 40,598 | ≈43% |
Compared with November’s special election, Rehmet increased his share from 46% in a three-way contest to about 57% in the head-to-head runoff. Election administrators reported more than 45,600 early votes for this runoff; in November, combined Republican early totals outpaced Rehmet’s early-vote tally, but Rehmet won more Election Day ballots than both Republicans combined. These patterns point to differences in campaign mobilization between early-vote outreach and Election Day turnout.
Reactions & Quotes
“It’s clear as day that this disastrous Republican agenda is hurting working families…Tonight’s results prove that no Republican seat is safe,”
Ken Martin, DNC Chair (statement)
Ken Martin framed the result as a warning to Republicans and a sign of Democratic momentum; his comments emphasized national strategy and union-backed outreach as keys to the victory.
“I’m not concerned…We know there are more Republican voters there than Democratic voters there, and we’re going to turn out all our voters,”
Gov. Greg Abbott (remarks to CBS News Texas)
Gov. Abbott reiterated confidence in GOP turnout operations and signaled the state party will continue efforts to regain ground in suburban precincts ahead of November.
“The DNC is supporting the Texas Democratic coordinated campaign by recruiting volunteers and bringing our message to more voters,”
Abhi Rahman, DNC Deputy Communications Director (statement)
The DNC credited its field program and volunteer recruitment with boosting Rehmet’s turnout, highlighting national investment in localized races as part of a broader strategy.
Unconfirmed
- How much President Trump’s Truth Social post directly changed turnout in specific precincts is not confirmed by detailed precinct-level data.
- The long-term effect of this single special-runoff result on November 2026 statewide or national outcomes remains speculative and cannot be established from this race alone.
Bottom Line
Taylor Rehmet’s victory in Tarrant County’s special runoff for Senate District 9 is a consequential local upset with broader political resonance. The win in a large Republican county underscores the value of targeted organizing and competitive campaigning in suburban districts, and it gives Democrats an incumbent to defend heading into November.
For Republicans, the result is a signal to reassess turnout tactics, particularly on Election Day, and to shore up suburban outreach if they hope to defend similar districts. The race will likely be a focal point in the months ahead as both parties prepare for the full-term contest in November 2026.
Sources
- CBS News Texas — Local/Regional news report with vote totals and campaign coverage.
- Tarrant County Elections — Official county elections site reporting polling waits and vote statistics (official administrative source).
- Democratic National Committee statements — Official party communications regarding campaign support (party/official).
- Truth Social / Public posts by former President Donald Trump — Candidate/public figure post urging support (public/social platform).