Red Fortress Falls: Texas GOP Seat Flipped Despite Trump Endorsement

Paul Riverbank, 2/1/2026A Democrat flips deep-red Texas seat, signaling shifting winds in North Texas politics.

Rehmet, a machinist and Air Force veteran, is not the typical political insider. Folks in Fort Worth remember seeing him at union gatherings, not the sort of events that usually shape campaigns in reliably conservative suburbs like Southlake. Yet, against the odds, Rehmet edged past Leigh Wambsganss, a Republican with strong local backing—and, as the runoff neared, the full endorsement of Donald Trump himself.

This outcome came as a jolt, not least because, just a few years ago, the idea of Democrats winning here would have sounded like a punchline. After all, Trump carried this district by 17 points in 2020, and local Republican machinery is known for its relentless canvassing. For most observers, November’s inconclusive result hinted at a race worth watching, but few were predicting anything close to an upset.

Still, by the time early voting trickled in, campaign operatives on both sides admitted—privately, at first—that the mood was different. On doorsteps, voters brought up topics that didn’t make the party’s talking points. Some cited property taxes spiraling, while others were weary of the endless back-and-forth over national issues that seemed increasingly untethered from local realities.

Kendall Scudder, the state’s Democratic chair, didn’t mince words after Rehmet forced the runoff last fall—his language as raw as his enthusiasm: “When a grassroots union organizer like Taylor Rehmet overperforms by almost 20 points… it couldn’t be any clearer that voters are tired of Republican bullshit.” Party leaders usually reach for more calibrated sound bites, but among Texas Democrats, the surprise brought out an edge, a real sense that the state’s political tectonics might just be shifting.

The Republican response was anything but passive. Wambsganss’ campaign events drew Governor Greg Abbott and prominent conservative donors, all anxious to plug any leaks in the GOP dam. For weeks, the local press carried photos of Republicans fanning out at block parties, phone banks buzzing, fliers stacked at every suburban coffee shop.

But enthusiasm, as it turned out, wasn’t confined to one side. If you lingered at precinct headquarters on election day, Democratic volunteers talked openly about the momentum they felt—new faces, new energy, and, above all, a feeling that the old formulas for predicting North Texas politics had stopped working.

In the end, Rehmet’s win is less a solitary spark and more a sign of a shifting climate. For Democrats, it’s proof that their claims of broadening appeal might actually have legs, lending fresh credibility as the midterms approach. No one is promising a blue wave in Texas, but for once, there’s talk among party officials about districts they never used to bother with.

Republicans, meanwhile, are left doing the post-mortem that losing parties always do—asking, quietly, whether turnout strategies need refreshing, or if the national brand has lost some of its luster in places where it used to be an asset. Political winds, as history reminds us, rarely stay still for long.

Was District 9’s flip a fluke, or the front edge of something more? That’s the question now animating consultants’ conference rooms and kitchen table conversations alike. For the moment, Democrats can celebrate a hard-fought victory, while Republicans—unaccustomed to surprises here—are left scanning the horizon, keenly aware that the old certainties aren’t quite what they once were.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this—not in Texas’s Senate District 9. On a muggy Saturday in North Texas, Taylor Rehmet found himself double-checking the final numbers as if he didn’t quite believe them. But there they were: a blue flicker on the political map where a deep red used to sit.Rehmet, a machinist and Air Force veteran, is not the typical political insider. Folks in Fort Worth remember seeing him at union gatherings, not the sort of events that usually shape campaigns in reliably conservative suburbs like Southlake. Yet, against the odds, Rehmet edged past Leigh Wambsganss, a Republican with strong local backing—and, as the runoff neared, the full endorsement of Donald Trump himself.This outcome came as a jolt, not least because, just a few years ago, the idea of Democrats winning here would have sounded like a punchline. After all, Trump carried this district by 17 points in 2020, and local Republican machinery is known for its relentless canvassing. For most observers, November’s inconclusive result hinted at a race worth watching, but few were predicting anything close to an upset.Still, by the time early voting trickled in, campaign operatives on both sides admitted—privately, at first—that the mood was different. On doorsteps, voters brought up topics that didn’t make the party’s talking points. Some cited property taxes spiraling, while others were weary of the endless back-and-forth over national issues that seemed increasingly untethered from local realities.Kendall Scudder, the state’s Democratic chair, didn’t mince words after Rehmet forced the runoff last fall—his language as raw as his enthusiasm: “When a grassroots union organizer like Taylor Rehmet overperforms by almost 20 points… it couldn’t be any clearer that voters are tired of Republican bullshit.” Party leaders usually reach for more calibrated sound bites, but among Texas Democrats, the surprise brought out an edge, a real sense that the state’s political tectonics might just be shifting.The Republican response was anything but passive. Wambsganss’ campaign events drew Governor Greg Abbott and prominent conservative donors, all anxious to plug any leaks in the GOP dam. For weeks, the local press carried photos of Republicans fanning out at block parties, phone banks buzzing, fliers stacked at every suburban coffee shop.But enthusiasm, as it turned out, wasn’t confined to one side. If you lingered at precinct headquarters on election day, Democratic volunteers talked openly about the momentum they felt—new faces, new energy, and, above all, a feeling that the old formulas for predicting North Texas politics had stopped working.In the end, Rehmet’s win is less a solitary spark and more a sign of a shifting climate. For Democrats, it’s proof that their claims of broadening appeal might actually have legs, lending fresh credibility as the midterms approach. No one is promising a blue wave in Texas, but for once, there’s talk among party officials about districts they never used to bother with.Republicans, meanwhile, are left doing the post-mortem that losing parties always do—asking, quietly, whether turnout strategies need refreshing, or if the national brand has lost some of its luster in places where it used to be an asset. Political winds, as history reminds us, rarely stay still for long.Was District 9’s flip a fluke, or the front edge of something more? That’s the question now animating consultants’ conference rooms and kitchen table conversations alike. For the moment, Democrats can celebrate a hard-fought victory, while Republicans—unaccustomed to surprises here—are left scanning the horizon, keenly aware that the old certainties aren’t quite what they once were.