In a speech before cheering supporters, Democrat Taylor Rehmet dedicated his victory “to everyday working people.”

Democrats scored a major upset on Saturday, as machinist union leader Taylor Rehmet easily defeated Republican opponent Leigh Wambsganss in a state senate special election held in a deep-red district that Donald Trump carried by 17 percentage points in 2024.

With nearly all votes counted, Rehmet holds a 14-point lead in Texas’ Senate District 9, which covers a large portion of Tarrant County.

Republican opponent Wambsganss conceded defeat in the race but vowed to win an upcoming rematch in November.

“The dynamics of a special election are fundamentally different from a November general election,” Wambsganss said. “I believe the voters of Senate District 9 and Tarrant County Republicans will answer the call in November.”

  • dreamkeeper@literature.cafe
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    3 days ago

    How are they going to “behave themselves” this year? They can’t run away from Trump without losing most of their cult base. I don’t know what state you’re from but I’d still put money on Dems winning

    • thlibos@thelemmy.club
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      3 days ago

      Oh, they most certainly wouldn’t be…I guess I mean that they will say they are behaving themselves and a complicit media will repeat this as if it were the truth. 9 months of that and the same kind of shite who voted GOP will cheerfully do so again. It’s almost like they will be begging for permission to double down even further denying the reality around them.