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Democrat Taylor Rehmet Flips Texas Senate Seat in Runoff

2/1/2026

27 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

On January 31, 2026, Taylor Rehmet defeated Leigh Wambsganss, a Trump-backed candidate, in a runoff for the Texas Senate's 9th District, flipping a Republican-held seat.
In the initial round, Rehmet received 48% of the vote against Wambsganss and another Republican.
The seat had been vacant since Republican Kelly Hancock resigned.
The win adds to Democratic momentum ahead of the midterms after flipping over 20 state legislative seats last year.

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Story summary

On January 31, 2026, Taylor Rehmet defeated Leigh Wambsganss, a Trump-backed candidate, in a runoff for the Texas Senate's 9th District, flipping a Republican-held seat.
In the initial round, Rehmet received 48% of the vote against Wambsganss and another Republican.
The seat had been vacant since Republican Kelly Hancock resigned.
The win adds to Democratic momentum ahead of the midterms after flipping over 20 state legislative seats last year.