In a speech before cheering supporters, Democrat Taylor Rehmet dedicated his victory “to everyday working people.”
Democrats scored a major upset on Saturday, as machinist union leader Taylor Rehmet easily defeated Republican opponent Leigh Wambsganss in a state senate special election held in a deep-red district that Donald Trump carried by 17 percentage points in 2024.
With nearly all votes counted, Rehmet holds a 14-point lead in Texas’ Senate District 9, which covers a large portion of Tarrant County.
Republican opponent Wambsganss conceded defeat in the race but vowed to win an upcoming rematch in November.
“The dynamics of a special election are fundamentally different from a November general election,” Wambsganss said. “I believe the voters of Senate District 9 and Tarrant County Republicans will answer the call in November.”
All of it: most of them were actually against it. You understand a minority party ain’t got much power? Even less with their multiple factions not all voting the same? They entirely voted against the Big Beautiful Bill (senate vote & house vote). The vast majority voted to keep the shutdown (senate vote & house vote). It’s a consistent pattern.
None of it suffices: even with the vast majority of the party opposing the administration, they lack leverage until their opposition starts defecting. Until government starts checking the administration’s illegitimate actions, it ultimately falls on the people to defy & resist them.