POLITICS

Fort Worth Democrat Flips GOP Texas Senate Seat

PUBLISHED Feb 1, 2026, 12:50 AM ET

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Fort Worth Democrat Flips GOP Texas Senate Seat

Media Bias Meter

Sources: 11

Left 9%

Center 91%

Sources: 11

Fort Worth, Texas — Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a special election Saturday, flipping a reliably Republican Texas Senate district that President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024. Rehmet, a veteran and labor union leader, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss by 14 percentage points after county officials tallied almost all ballots. Unofficial early and mail-in returns gave Rehmet 56% of the vote. The victory allows Rehmet to serve until early January and requires him to win the November general election to retain the seat. Democrats cited the result as evidence of voter mobilization. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

By Daniel Hayes | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

Republicans held the district since 1991.
2024: President Trump carried the district by about 17 percentage points.
November 2025: Rehmet closed within roughly 3 percentage points in the general election.
Jan. 31, 2026: Early and mail-in returns gave Rehmet approximately 56% of the vote.
Post-election: Rehmet will serve until early January and must run in November for a full term.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 11
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 1
Neutral:: 10

Who Benefited

Taylor Rehmet, his campaign organization, local Democratic groups and national Democratic operatives benefited from increased visibility, a flipped seat, and momentum heading into the November general election.

Who Impacted

Leigh Wambsganss, Republican organizers in northern Tarrant County, and local GOP messaging efforts suffered a setback from losing a reliably Republican seat in the special election.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 11
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 1
Neutral:: 10
Distribution:: Left 9%, Center 91%, Right 0%

Who Benefited

Who Impacted

Leigh Wambsganss, Republican organizers in northern Tarrant County, and local GOP messaging efforts suffered a setback from losing a reliably Republican seat in the special election.