GOP Expects "Real Battle" After Loss in Trump-Won Texas District

Texas politics was rocked by an upset when Democrat Taylor Rehmet defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss by 14 percentage points in a special election in the Fort Worth suburbs, Alex Henderson reported the result for AlterNet.

With the 2026 midterm elections just over nine months away, both Democratic and Republican insiders view Wambsganss’ loss as a troubling sign for the GOP. (Photo: Taylor Rehmet Facebook)

Rehmet and Wambsganss competed for a Texas state Senate seat in a district that former President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024.

While Dallas proper leans Democratic, the Dallas–Fort Worth suburbs have traditionally been more favorable to Republicans. Despite an endorsement from Trump, however, Wambsganss suffered a decisive defeat.

In an article published Feb. 1, New York Times reporter J. David Goodman examined the broader implications of Rehmet’s victory. With the 2026 midterm elections just over nine months away, both Democratic and Republican insiders view Wambsganss’ loss as a troubling sign for the GOP.

“Democrats quickly seized on Mr. Rehmet’s victory as a sign of their growing strength even in deeply red areas of the country,” Goodman wrote.

“Some Republicans also saw it as a warning about the future.”

“November was always going to be a real battle, but tonight should hopefully remind us all that we will be fighting against a force that believes they have to win,” Luke Macias, a conservative activist and Texas political consultant, said in a social media post.

Goodman noted that the Texas state Senate special election had been closely watched by national leaders from both parties as a barometer of potential Republican struggles in this year’s midterm elections.