Donald Trump was dealt a staggering blow after his endorsed candidate for Texas state senate lost to a Democrat in the heart of MAGA country.
First-time candidate Taylor Rehmet, 33, defeated his GOP opponent in a special election in a district Donald Trump carried by more than 17 points in 2024. The union leader reportedly beat MAGA activist Leigh Wambsganss 57–43, becoming the first Democrat to hold the seat in decades on Saturday.
Wambsganss had been fiercely backed by the now-silent Trump as well as top Republican players—who feared an upset in the ruby-red district would signal trouble for the party ahead of this year’s midterms and encourage more Democrats to target Texas, a MAGA stronghold.
“I am asking all America First Patriots in Texas’ 9th State Senate District to please make a plan to GET OUT AND VOTE on Election Day, Saturday, January 31st, for a phenomenal Candidate, Leigh Wambsganss,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. “She is a highly successful Entrepreneur, and an incredible supporter of our Movement to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
Trump added that Wambsganss, whose activism centers on instilling Christian conservative policies in public schools, has his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
“My very good friend, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, needs a strong conservative Republican in SD-9 to KEEP TEXAS RED! The Radical Left Democrats are spending a fortune to beat a true MAGA Warrior, Leigh Wambsganss,” he continued—despite Wambsganss’ campaign reportedly raising more than $2.5 million, mostly from political action committees, compared to Rehmet’s $380,626, largely from individual donors.
“You can win this Election for Leigh, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement. PLEASE MAKE A PLAN TO GET OUT AND VOTE FOR LEIGH WAMBSGANSS IN THE JANUARY 31ST SPECIAL RUNOFF ELECTION! Find your closest Polling Location here. Leigh will NEVER let Texas, or the USA, down! President DJT.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, and other prominent Texas Republicans also threw their support behind Wambsganss, campaigning on social media in the lead-up to the special election, which took place after former state Sen. Kelly Hancock stepped down to become acting state comptroller.
Wambsganss herself called the loss a “wakeup call” for Republicans in a statement to the Texas Tribune, while also asserting she plans to face Rehmet again for a full term in November.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House and representatives for Abbott and Cruz for comment following Saturday’s election results.
While Republicans have largely stayed silent in the hours since Rehmet’s victory, many Democrats framed the result as a preview of November.
“This isn’t the finish line — it’s only the beginning. The momentum is here, and it’s only growing stronger,” said Jasmine Crockett, a Democratic Congresswoman and Senate candidate in Texas, after the election was called. “Never forget who the power belongs to — YOU, the people!”
“A huge political earthquake in Texas tonight as Democrats flipped a State Senate seat from red to blue in a district Trump won by 17 points,” Democratic strategist Matt McDermott wrote in an X post.
“Trump personally waded in — endorsing the Republican and personally urging base turnout — and was dealt a massive loss.”
The upset comes as multiple polls show Trump, 79, with a bleak approval rating nationwide, as voters increasingly say he is making the country worse.
A New York Times/Siena poll found that 56 percent of voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance, leaving him underwater on a range of hot-button issues, including the economy, immigration, and his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. In a hypothetical 2026 midterm matchup, voters were more likely to back a Democratic candidate over a Republican, 48 percent to 43 percent.
The survey also showed independents favoring a Democratic candidate by a 15-point margin.
For his part, Rehmet framed the victory as a win for “everyday working people.”
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