Nine months after pulling off a stunning upset in one of Tarrant County's most conservative state Senate districts, Democrat Taylor Rehmet is back on the ballot, facing the same Republican opponent he beat by 14 points in January. The rematch between Rehmet and Leigh Wambsganss for Senate District 9 lands on the November 3 ballot, but this time the electorate will look nothing like the sleepy special election that first sent him to Austin.
Rehmet, a 34-year-old Air Force veteran and machinist, advanced from the November 4, 2025 special election and defeated Wambsganss in a January 31, 2026 runoff, becoming the first Democrat to hold Senate District 9 in more than 30 years, according to the Fort Worth Report. The runoff drew about 15 percent turnout, and Rehmet received roughly 57 percent of the vote.
Wambsganss, 59, is a Republican activist and Patriot Mobile executive with Grapevine-based Patriot Mobile, a Christian conservative cell service provider, according to the seed article. She is the company's vice president of government and public affairs, runs Patriot Mobile Action, and helped start Southlake Families PAC. Patriot Mobile put $500,000 into Patriot Mobile Action PAC; Southlake Families PAC was also involved in school-board races, as detailed by the Texas Tribune.
A Low-Turnout Upset in a Trump Stronghold
Rehmet's January victory came despite a lopsided financial disadvantage. Conservative groups and state Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Donald Trump, mounted a major push for Wambsganss, with Republican spending reaching roughly $2.4 million compared to Rehmet's $200,000, according to Teach the Vote. Even with that spending gap, the low-turnout special election broke for the union machinist, though the district's underlying lean remains steeply conservative — Senate District 9 supported Trump's 2024 reelection by 17 points, per the seed reporting.
That gap between the special-election result and the district's broader partisan tilt is central to why political scientist Adam Schiffer, cited in the Fort Worth Report's account, said Republican-favorable conditions in a midterm cycle may make it tougher for Rehmet to hold the seat. Schiffer also said Democrats currently appear energized while Republicans seem somewhat dispirited, a dynamic that could cut against typical midterm patterns favoring the party out of the White House.
Rehmet built his political identity around his union credentials. He worked as a machinist and is a union leader, according to the Texas AFL-CIO. In a statement, he said he centers working people in the governing process to achieve meaningful results. Wambsganss, in her own statement, said her campaign is expanding its reach and working in every neighborhood.
How the Vacancy Happened
The seat opened up after former Senator Kelly Hancock resigned from the Legislature on June 18, 2025, then launched his comptroller campaign on June 19. Outgoing Comptroller Glenn Hegar appointed Hancock chief clerk, a move that paved the way for him to become interim comptroller after Hegar left office, according to the Texas Tribune. Hoodline covered the transition at the time in its report on Hancock's move to comptroller.
Rehmet took office in February 2026. Both he and Wambsganss ran unopposed in their March 3, 2026 party primaries, setting up the direct rematch now on the November ballot. Whoever wins will serve a four-year term and represent the district during the 2027 legislative session.
District Boundaries and Countywide Stakes
Senate District 9 represents most of Tarrant County, making the county central to the race.
Texas Senate districts touching Tarrant County include both District 9 and District 22, and the chamber's 31 members serve staggered four-year terms, with sixteen seats on the November ballot statewide.
Legislative Record and Policy Overlap
During his first seven months in office, Rehmet drafted and filed 35 legislative bills and held more than 200 meetings with officials, organizations and community members, according to the seed reporting. He was not assigned to a committee by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. On policy, Rehmet has emphasized public education and affordability, while Wambsganss has campaigned on property tax relief, public education and addressing affordability.
The two candidates share some common ground. Both support regulating Texas data centers and requiring developers to provide their own power, and both back regulating THC products without entirely outlawing cannabis. Immigration is also a campaign issue. The two did not agree to participate in an October 8 candidate forum.
The Road to November
Early voting for the November 3 election runs from October 19 through October 30. Tarrant County's midterm ballot features more than 70 races in total, with the Senate District 9 rematch standing out as one of the closest-watched contests testing whether a low-turnout special election flip can survive a full midterm electorate. Texas senators are paid $7,200 annually for the four-year term now up for grabs.
