2025–26 Texas's 9th Senate district special election
November 4, 2025 (first round)
January 31, 2026 (runoff) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Texas's 9th Senate district | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 17.39% (first round) 15.41% (runoff) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Rehmet: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Wambsganss: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90% Huffman: >90% Tie: 50% No votes | |||||||||||||||||||||
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A special election was held on November 4, 2025, with a runoff on January 31, 2026, to fill the vacant 9th district in the Texas Senate. The district was vacant following the resignation of Republican Kelly Hancock to become the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Background
Incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Hancock resigned on June 18, 2025, to become chief clerk of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. This led to a special election in the 9th district, which governor Greg Abbott scheduled for November 4, 2025.[1][2][3]
Texas's 9th Senate district is strongly Republican, with Donald Trump carrying the district by 17 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.[4] Special elections in Texas use a two-round system: candidates of all parties appear on the ballot together, and if no candidate receives 50% of the vote, a runoff election is held between the top two candidates.[5]
First round
Candidates
Advanced to runoff
- Taylor Rehmet (Democratic) union president and veteran[6]
- Leigh Wambsganss (Republican) activist and Chief Communications Officer at Patriot Mobile[7][8]
Eliminated in first round
- John Huffman (Republican) former mayor of Southlake, Texas and candidate for Texas's 26th congressional district in 2024[9]
Withdrawn
- Armin Mizani (Republican), mayor of Keller (running for the Texas House of Representatives in 2026)[10]
- Nate Schatzline (Republican), state representative from the 93rd district (endorsed Wambsganss)[11]
Campaign
Republicans John Huffman and Leigh Wambsganss are both seen as highly conservative, but differences on specific issues divide them. Huffman received approximately $500,000 from a PAC bankrolled by Dallas Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson, a proponent of legalizing gambling in Texas.[12] Wambsganss received approximately $450,000 from a PAC started by Texas oil tycoons Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks.[13] Democratic candidate Taylor Rehmet primarily received support from workers' unions, Democratic lawmakers, and small individual contributions.[13]
Endorsements
Mayors
- Mattie Parker, mayor of Fort Worth[14]
Organizations
- Fort Worth Police Officers Association[14]
Newspapers and publications
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram[15]
- The Dallas Morning News (Endorsed Rehmet in runoff)[16][17]
State legislators
- Chris Turner, state representative from the 101st district[18]
- Nathan M. Johnson, state senator from the 16th district[19]
- Roland Gutierrez, state senator from the 19th district[20]
County officials
- Alisa Simmons, Tarrant County commissioner[18]
- Roderick Miles Jr., Tarrant County commissioner[18]
Labor unions
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers[21]
- Texas AFL–CIO[22]
- Texas American Federation of Teachers[23]
Organizations
Executive branch officials
- Donald Trump, 45th and 47th president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)[14]
Federal officials
- Ted Cruz, U.S. senator from Texas[14]
Statewide officials
State legislators
- Tan Parker, majority leader and state senator from the 12th district[26]
- Nate Schatzline, state representative from the 93rd district[27]
County officials
Notable individuals
- Chris McNutt, gun rights activist[26]
Organizations
Results
Rehmet's nearly 48% of the vote in the election, short of the 50% required to avoid a runoff, was already a considerable overperformance compared to the district's usual voting patterns. His two Republican opponents' combined vote share was above 50%, but his large lead indicated the potential for an upset victory in the January runoff.[28][29]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Taylor Rehmet | 56,565 | 47.57% | |
| Republican | Leigh Wambsganss | 42,739 | 35.94% | |
| Republican | John Huffman | 19,608 | 16.49% | |
| Total votes | 118,912 | 100.00 | ||
Runoff
During the runoff campaign, Wambsganss continued to outraise and outspend Rehmet, with donations from several sources for Wambsganss topping $100,000, while Rehmet's donations mostly came from smaller sources.[31][32] Turnout was higher than usual for similar special elections despite Winter Storm Fern hitting the region during the early voting period.[33] While most observers considered Republicans favored to win the race, they conceded that a narrow victory could signal trouble for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.[34]
Rehmet won the election in an upset by an unexpectedly large margin, becoming the first Democrat to represent northern Tarrant County in the Senate since before the 1982 election.[35][36] Rehmet will not serve any active legislative days during his unexpired term, facing a general election for the seat in November 2026. His situation echoes that of fellow Tarrant County Democrat Dan Barrett, who won a 2007 special election for House District 97 before losing in the 2008 general election by a wide margin.[37]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Taylor Rehmet | 54,473 | 57.27% | |
| Republican | Leigh Wambsganss | 40,648 | 42.73% | |
| Total votes | 95,121 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
Analysis
Rehmet received significant crossover support in his victory, winning nearly 30% of voters who had previously voted in Republican primaries, and over 70% of voters who had voted in neither primary recently. The race had very low voter turnout, typical of off-cycle special elections, but this did not result in disproportionately high turnout among Democratic primary voters.[39] Rehmet also won nearly 80% of the estimated Hispanic vote in the district, a marked improvement for Democrats compared to the 2024 election, which saw Hispanic voters swing sharply towards Donald Trump, particularly in the Rio Grande Valley, but also in urban areas like Fort Worth.[40] Analysts have attributed this, as well as Rehmet's appeal to working class voters and suburban backlash to Wambsganss' sharply conservative policies, as the key factors in this victory.[41]
References
- ^ "Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Welcomes Former Texas State Sen. Kelly Hancock to Comptroller's Office". comptroller.texas.gov. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ Kumar, By Atirikta (2025-06-27). "Gov. Greg Abbott sets Nov. 4 special election for open state Senate seat". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ Serrano, By Zach Despart and Alejandro (2025-06-19). "Former Texas state Sen. Kelly Hancock to become acting comptroller, run for permanent job". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ Serrano, Alejandro (30 January 2026). "Democrat wins special election for red Texas Senate seat". Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ Shaw, Drew (4 November 2025). "Tarrant voters weigh 2 Republicans, 1 Democrat for Texas Senate election". KERA. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ Royster, Rachel (July 8, 2025). "North Texas mayor joins race for Fort Worth-area state Senate District 9". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "GOP Heavyweights Endorse Leigh Wambsganss For Texas Senate". Yahoo News. 2025-07-02. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ Bim, Mara Richards (2025-06-02). "Leigh Wambsganss and the duplicity of Christian nationalist women". Baptist News Global. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ Roberts, Kim (August 1, 2025). "Texas Senate District 9 Special Election Candidates Speak on THC, Gambling, Top Priorities". The Texan. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
- ^ "Keller Mayor Armin Mizani pivots from Texas Senate to Texas House District campaign". WFAA News. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ^ "State Rep. Nate Schatzline drops Texas Senate bid, endorses conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss". 24 June 2025.
- ^ Dearman, Eleanor (October 11, 2025). "Casino tycoon, West Texas oilmen are big funders in Fort Worth-area Senate race". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- ^ a b Shaw, Drew (2025-10-31). "Nearly $3M pours into Tarrant County's race for Texas Senate". KERA News. Retrieved 2025-11-05.
- ^ a b c d "Texas Senate District 9 special election pits Republicans against Democrat in Tarrant County". The Texas Tribune. November 4, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ Editorial Board (October 17, 2025). "Star-Telegram endorsement: Tarrant election to fill state Senate seat". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ "We recommend in Texas Senate District 9". Dallas News. 2026-01-23. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ^ Editorial Board (October 19, 2025). "We recommend in the race for Texas Senate District 9". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Tarrant voters weigh 2 Republicans, 1 Democrat for Texas Senate election". KERA News. November 4, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "Texas Democratic Women event featuring Senator Nathan Johnson and Taylor Rehmet". Mobilize.us. October 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "Senator Roland Gutierrez endorses Taylor Rehmet for Texas Senate". Lone Star Left. October 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "IAM Texas State Council endorses state council president for state Senate seat". International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. October 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "Texas AFL-CIO COPE endorses union member Taylor Rehmet in SD-9 special election". Texas AFL–CIO. October 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "Texas AFT COPE endorses Taylor Rehmet in special election for Texas Senate". Texas AFT. October 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club endorsements". Sierra Club. October 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "We need a new generation of political leaders who aren't afraid to stand up to the tax cheats that refuse to pay their fair share". November 14, 2025. Retrieved February 1, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "GOP heavyweights endorse Leigh Wambsganss for Texas Senate". Yahoo News. July 2, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ "Texas Rep. Nate Schatzline backs Republican in Tarrant County special election". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 20, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
- ^ Shaw, Drew (2026-01-15). "A 'bellwether' election: Tarrant's Texas Senate runoff draws national attention". Fort Worth Report. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ^ Guo, Kayla (2025-11-04). "Rehmet, Wambsganss head to runoff in Senate special election". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ^ "Texas 2025 election results". November 7, 2025.
- ^ Shaw, Drew (2026-01-27). "Republican budget tops $2.5M in race for Texas Senate District 9, records show". KERA News. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
- ^ Roberts, Kim (2026-01-28). "Democrats, Republicans Pour Money into State Senate District 9 Runoff". The Texan. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
- ^ Dearman, Eleanor (January 29, 2026). "Winter storm slows turnout in Fort Worth area state Senate runoff". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ Goodman, J. David (2026-01-29). "A State Senate Race in Texas Offers Republicans a Warning". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-01-30.
- ^ Democrat Taylor Rehmet wins a reliably Republican Texas state Senate seat, stunning GOP, at National_Public_Radio; published February 1, 2026; retrieved February 1, 2026
- ^ Blake, Aaron (2026-02-01). "Why Democrats' upset in a Texas state Senate race is a big deal | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
- ^ Kennedy, Bud (February 2, 2026). "Texas Democrats celebrate a historic upset. But they've been here before | Opinion". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
- ^ "Election Night Reporting". results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ^ McCardel, Michael (2026-02-06). "When the math ain't mathing: A Texas GOP warning shot? Here's how a Democrat actually won a long-held Republican seat". wfaa.com. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ^ Mahajan, Apurva; Serrano, Alejandro (2026-02-06). "See how Latinos helped Texas Democrats win Senate District 9". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
- ^ Serrano, Alejandro (2026-02-02). "How Democrats flipped a ruby red Senate seat in North Texas". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2026-02-22.