January 31, 2026      10:47 PM

Texas Democrats stun Republicans with upset victory in Tarrant County special election

Shockwaves emanating from the Metroplex: As Lt. Gov. Patrick argued last week, this is the first signal in 2026 that national Democrats could make a significant investment in Texas ahead of the November election; President Trump was trying to boost Wambsganss online while it sounds like the DNC was under the radar helping Rehmet

FORT WORTH – “At least it could have been at a nicer restaurant,” grumbled a downtrodden Republican activist on his way out of the election watch party held for Patriot Mobile executive Leigh Wambsganss Saturday night as supporters of her bid for Texas Senate began to trickle out just as the results were coming in.

Just after 10:30pm, Wambsganss seemed to concede for now, telling the crowd “We’ll be back in November.”

Though it might prove to only be symbolic, a Democrat appears on his way to representing northeast Tarrant County in the Legislature’s upper chamber for the first time since the 1980s. And as top Republicans including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and President Donald Trump himself had warned during early voting, the apparent upset victory of Democrat Taylor Rehmet is the first signal to national Democrats that this state could be in play if the minority party makes a significant financial investment in the US Senate race here this fall.

Rehmet’s campaign wasn’t ready to declare victory yet at his watch party, but just before 11:30 pm the Associated Press called the race for the Democrat.

It’s a battle that played out in its final days on the icy streets of Fort Worth and had some Republicans questioning why Gov. Greg Abbott didn’t call the runoff in December, which wouldn’t have given Democrats as much time to organize and get out the vote for their candidate.

Just last week, some Republican candidates for other offices around the Metroplex were talking more about this special election than their own races and describing the campaign in Cowtown as an “all hands on deck” moment.

By Scott Braddock

Copyright January 31, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved