A gun-grabbing Democrat has flipped a Texas Senate seat long considered safely Republican, delivering a major warning sign to GOP leaders and pro-Second Amendment voters heading into the 2026 midterms.
Democrat Taylor Rehmet defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss in Saturday’s Texas Senate District 9 special election runoff, winning 57% to 43%.
The outcome marks the first time the district has elected a Democrat to the Texas Senate since 1981, ending a 45-year Republican hold on the seat.
“This is what happens when gun owners assume someone else will do the work and show up to vote,” said Chris McNutt, President of Texas Gun Rights. “The other side doesn’t take elections off — and neither can we.”
A Red District Flips Blue
Senate District 9 covers parts of Tarrant County and has been widely viewed as a Republican stronghold.
The district also backed President Donald Trump by a double-digit margin in 2024, making the scale of Rehmet’s victory especially notable.
While special election runoffs can produce unpredictable outcomes, the margin in SD9 suggests Democrats were far more energized to turnout than Republicans.
Even though each candidate received 2,000 fewer votes than they received during the November special election, the nearly 19,000 voters who pulled the lever for liberal Republican candidate John Huffman last November seemingly disappeared.
Wambsganss will seek to oust Rehmet in a rematch during the November midterm election.
Democrats Celebrate the Upset
National and Texas Democrats quickly framed the result as a sign that even conservative areas are within reach heading into November.
The chairman of the Democratic National Committee described the victory as a warning sign for Republicans and argued it showed Democrats can compete in traditionally red territory.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett also publicly celebrated the result, congratulating Rehmet and highlighting the historic nature of the flip.
Political strategists say the larger significance of flipping a deep-red, pro-Trump district — in Texas of all places — provides “proof“ that targeted spending and turnout operations can produce wins even in areas Republicans assumed were secure.
“This win will be treated like a green light for the Left’s donor machine,” McNutt said. “They’re going to pour money into Texas because they think they’ve found the blueprint.”
Texas Majority PAC, a group backed by George Soros, who has personally contributed more than $7 million to the organization in recent years, already put more than $300k into the Rehmet race alone.
Now, we will likely see an influx of funding toward the campaigns of Jasmine Crockett and down-ballot gun ban politicians, looking to replicate the 2018 Beto wave.
Gun-Control Groups Expected to Increase Activity
Gun rights activists also point to growing involvement from national gun-control groups in Texas elections.
Organizations such as Everytown and Giffords have expanded their political footprint in recent years, and advocates expect additional spending aimed at boosting candidates aligned with the gun confiscation agenda.
The SD9 upset is likely to be viewed by national groups as a test case for how quickly a seat can flip under low-turnout conditions.
Midterm Dynamics Add Pressure
The upset comes as both parties prepare for a midterm cycle that historically presents challenges for the party holding the White House.
In many midterm elections, turnout drops compared to presidential years, and shifts in enthusiasm can swing results — particularly in state legislative races where margins can change quickly.
For Republicans, the SD9 result is expected to intensify focus on turnout operations in districts that might have previously been treated as safe.
Texas Gun Rights, which endorsed Wambsganss, warned the loss underscores the consequences of low turnout and complacency among pro-Second Amendment voters.
The organization said it plans to expand voter education and mobilization efforts statewide heading into November, including its “One Big Beautiful Ballot” program designed to identify and promote candidates who pledge to defend the Second Amendment without compromise.
