By Sarah Bahari, The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS — Political newcomer Taylor Rehmet scored a stunning upset Saturday in a conservative Texas state Senate seat.
Rehmet, a Fort Worth Democrat, beat Southlake GOP activist Leigh Wambsganss by more than 14 points. The district — which includes a swath of Fort Worth and Tarrant County’s northern suburbs— favored President Donald Trump by 17 points in 2024.
The race is drawing national attention, catapulting Rehmet to the forefront of Texas politics practically overnight. Republicans worry his lopsided victory signals deep trouble ahead of the midterm election in November.
Who is Taylor Rehmet?
Rehmet is an Air Force veteran, a Lockheed Martin mechanic and union president. The 33-year-old grew up in Garland. His father was an aircraft mechanic, and his mother worked in a beauty salon. Rehmet often spent afternoons at the salon while his mother finished work.
At 19, he joined the Air Force and served four years stationed in North Dakota. When he completed his service, he moved to Fort Worth and got a job as a machinist, working on F-35s for Lockheed Martin.
Rehmet saw firsthand the benefits of the union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. His job provided a fair salary and stability so he could afford to purchase a home, his campaign strategist Jake Davis said.
He is now president of both the local and Texas chapters of the union, representing about 25,000 machinists. That work helped pave the way for his state senate run, Davis said.
How did Rehmet win?
Throughout the campaign, Rehmet emphasized affordability and lowering costs for families. The team knew it could not compete with Wambsganss’ fundraising, Davis said Monday.
Instead, it focused on knocking on doors and spending time with people, even training volunteers how to actively listen to voters, he added.
“We talked to voters instead of talking at them,” Davis said. “We listened to their ideas, their hopes, what they feel is working and what isn’t working.”
Rehmet’s victory allows him to serve only until early next year, as this special election was to fill a vacant seat after Republican state Sen. Kelly Hancock resigned to serve as acting state comptroller.
A rematch is set between Rehmet and Wambsganss in the November general election to decide who occupies the seat for a full four-year term.
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