Editor’s note: This story will be updated over the weekend as election results become available.
Republicans and Democrats nationwide have eyes on Tarrant County this evening as residents vote in the Texas Senate District 9 runoff.
The election sees Fort Worth Democrat Taylor Rehmet, a veteran and union leader, face off against Southlake Republican Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist and executive of Patriot Mobile, a wireless service provider.
Whoever wins the special election will — for the next 11 months — represent the northern half of Tarrant County and parts of Fort Worth. Immediately after the runoff, the two candidates begin campaigning for the March 3 primary ahead of the fall elections.
Residents can see if they live in District 9 here and find polling locations at Tarrant County’s website. Voting runs until 7 p.m.
Nearly 44,000 residents voted early for this race — about 20,000 fewer than in November. Early voting was impacted significantly by hazardous winter weather over last weekend, which shut down all locations on Jan. 25 and affected opening hours Jan. 23-27.
In November, Rehmet came about 2.5 percentage points shy of winning outright but failed to get the majority vote as the vote was split with Wambsganss and a third candidate.
The district has gone red since 1991, but Democrats are hopeful that Rehmet’s grassroots campaign — coupled with what they see as national unrest over President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy, immigration and international relations — could tip the Senate district in their favor.
Still, Republicans have poured millions into securing the seat. Wambsganss spent $2 million more than Rehmet’s $242,174, according to campaign finance reports.
“This election is being called the canary in the coal mine because Democrats across the nation are watching this race,” said Wambsganss, addressing Tarrant County Republicans during a Jan. 8 local GOP executive committee meeting. “If Taylor can win it in January, you’re going to have 600 million (Democrats) fly into Texas against every single judge, against our governor, lieutenant governor.”
Wambsganss saw 75% of her funding come from political entities and action committees, or PACs, while Rehmet mostly relied on small, individual donations. About 20% of his funding came from PACs.
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The Democrat’s near-win in November is a telling indicator for Texas and the nation, Keith Gaddie, a political professor at Texas Christian University, previously told the Report.
“Whoever wins will declare that it’s a bellwether, and they will declare they’ve got a mandate,” he said. “But, irrespective of who wins this runoff, if I were the Republicans, I’d be looking at what’s happened in Tarrant County, and I’d be worried.”
Such a gain in Tarrant County, which is commonly regarded as one of the nation’s largest Republican counties, does not bode well for the GOP this November and beyond, he said.
Rehmet has campaigned on fueling affordable housing initiatives, expanding workers’ rights, supporting fellow veterans and lowering property taxes for working families. He has garnered endorsements from several state Democrats including Rep. Chris Turner and former Sen. Wendy Davis, progressive local politicians, as well as groups including VoteVets, Texas Young Democrats and IAM Union.
“I’ve talked with parents who are doing everything right and still can’t catch up on groceries. Seniors who are choosing between medicine and keeping the lights on,” he previously told the Report. “Young families are wondering if Texas is still a place they can build a future.”
Wambsganss describes herself as “ultra-MAGA” and touts her endorsements from Trump, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare and others. Her campaign has focused on securing the border, supporting Texas’ oil industry, defending gun rights and lowering property taxes through the homestead exemption.
The seat was previously held by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned to become acting state comptroller. The winner of the Nov. 3 election will serve a four-year term.
Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601.
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Great Job Drew Shaw & the Team @ Fort Worth Report for sharing this story.
