Trump won the district by more than 17 percentage points. But on Saturday, the GOP candidate lost by more than 14.

The race between Democrat Taylor Rehmet and Republican Leigh Wambsganss has gained national attention, after Rehmet won nearly 48% of votes in a November special election for Senate District 9. The candidates hope to finish the remainder of Kelly Hancock’s term, after he left the Capitol to lead the Texas Comptroller’s Office.

Rehmet will represent parts of northern Tarrant County. The district was previously represented by Republican Kelly Hancock and elected Donald Trump in 2024.

Follow along for live updates in the runoff election between Democrat Taylor Rehmet and Republican Leigh Wambsganss.

Democrats call the upset a warning sign for the GOP, saying Rehmet's victory shows voters are rejecting Republican policies even in longtime strongholds.

WASHINGTON — Democrats notched a shocking upset victory Saturday when they flipped a Fort Worth-area Texas state Senate seat blue for the first time since 1992, defeating a President Trump-backed candidate.

Democrat Taylor Rehmet’s victory over Republican Leigh Wambsganss flipped a district that President Donald Trump won by 17 points just two years ago, a swing that caught many observers off guard.

Republican Leigh Wambsganss lost the state Senate District 9 election by more than 14 percentage points.

"People who are frustrated and angry? They always vote," Democrat Taylor Rehmet says of his upset win in a district that supported Trump by double digits