Saturday’s special election in Texas Senate District 9 has sent shockwaves across the state and indeed the nation.
SD 9, which covers northwest Tarrant County including a large chunk of Fort Worth and its northwestern suburbs, was left without a state senator when incumbent Kelly Hancock resigned to join the Comptroller of Public Accounts office. Taylor Rehmet, a veteran and union president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), was endorsed by Texas AFT COPE back in October of last year ahead of the November general election.
It was seismic enough when Rehmet won the most votes in November and was headed to a runoff where he faced off against Republican activist Leigh Wambsganss. Rehmet was notably outspent in the waning days of the campaign by a nearly 10:1 margin. The district had not voted for a Democrat in recent memory. And despite the headwinds, Rehmet won the special election runoff by 14 points.
What Taylor Rehmet’s win means
While Rehmet still has to win the general election in November before he has the chance to see any legislative time, the context of the runoff result is difficult to ignore. State leaders have led Texas astray, particularly in the realm of public education. Rehmet’s opponent financially supported reactionary school board members that focused on culture wars over supporting students and educators. By contrast, Rehmet ran a positive, pro-public education campaign and was duly rewarded for it by the voters.
Saturday’s result is an encouraging reminder that your vote matters and it matters who you vote for. For a list of Texas AFT COPE-endorsed candidates, click here. The March 3 Primary election will be another opportunity to send a message to political leaders that 2026 will be a public education election. Early voting for the March primary starts on Tuesday, February 17.