On Saturday, Democrats easily won a special election for a State Senate seat in Texas. Their candidate, union leader Taylor Rehmet, defeated Republican activist Leigh Wambsganss by a stunning 14% margin. This election was particularly alarming for Republicans, since their candidate had been endorsed by President Donald Trump, who won the district in the 2024 election.
Historically, this Tarrant County senate seat, district nine, was a Republican stronghold. However, on Saturday, Democrats won for a variety of reasons, including major spending by special interest groups. The biggest contributor was a veterans political action committee which spent $500,000 on behalf of Taylor Rehmet, an Air Force veteran.
Despite an enthusiastic endorsement from President Trump, who called Wambsganss “phenomenal” and “an incredible supporter of our Movement to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN (MAGA),” the Republicans lost overwhelmingly.
Along with the spending edge, Democrats had more motivated voters, while the Republican turnout was “unusually low.” Fortunately, Republicans still maintain a comfortable majority in the Texas State Legislature, but the warning signs are unmistakable.
According to Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin, the Texas victory is “not an anomaly, it’s a pattern.” He gloated that Democrats won even though Trump had carried the Texas senate district by 17 points in the last election. Martin boasted that his party will be “building on our historic overperformance, and we’re not slowing down. November is coming, and we’re ready. ALL GAS, NO BRAKES!!”
This win follows a string of election victories for Democrats in recent months. In Virginia, a state that had elected a Republican as Governor and Lieutenant Governor in 2021, voters gave Democrats landslide victories for all statewide positions in 2025.
Even their candidate for Attorney General won, despite revelations that he had threatened to kill a former Republican Virginia House Speaker and wished for his children to “die in their mother’s arms.”
In New Jersey, a state where Democrats barely won the Governor’s seat in 2021, voters gave them a landslide victory in 2025. Even in the conservative states of Kentucky and Iowa, Democrats have won recent special elections.
In a December 2025 special election for a congressional seat in Tennessee, Republicans prevailed, but it was for “a slimmer margin than expected.”
To achieve all this success, what messages are Democrats using? Last fall, Democrats won by blasting the “affordability” issue. In Saturday’s Texas victory, the message was “lowering costs” and “protecting jobs.”
Of course, Republicans can easily counter these arguments. In the first year of his second term, President Trump has delivered “affordability,” and he is “lowering costs” and “protecting jobs.”
Trump has kept the inflation rate low, despite hysteria from so-called economists that his tariff policy would lead to skyrocketing costs. In fact, it was President Joe Biden who created the “affordability” crisis by giving Americans an inflation rate of 9.1%, the highest since 1981.
One important measure of costs is the price of gasoline. In January, the average price of gasoline dropped to $2.81 per gallon, a marked decrease from the 2024 high of $3.67 per gallon.
Trump’s policies have been good for economic growth and jobs. For example, the unemployment rate for December 2025 dropped to 4.4%.
Additionally, in 2025, interest rates started to drop with three cuts. More reductions will be coming in 2026, especially after a new Federal Reserve Chairman takes office.
The President’s tariff policies will lead to more manufacturing and factories returning to the United States. The trade deficit will be reduced and the extra money flowing into the country could generate tariff rebate checks for Americans in 2026.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” was passed last year and started to be implemented in 2026. It will deliver historic tax relief for Americans, which will provide additional assistance to employees who work overtime or for tips. It will also eliminate taxes on Social Security for 88% of Americans.
Overall, Trump has delivered tangible results that Republican candidates must enthusiastically communicate to voters in upcoming elections.
The problem is that the President is no longer on the ballot and these candidates face a Democratic Party electorate that is extremely motivated. Millions of Democrats are afflicted with “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and are excited to defeat Republicans and derail the MAGA agenda.
For special elections and in the midterm elections, turnout is lower than in presidential elections. The key for each candidate is motivating “base” voters to go to the polls. Whichever candidate does that the best will win.
While the liberal media claim GOP losses are due to dissatisfaction with immigration policies, the true reason for the defeats is that the Republican Party has not delivered for their voters. Other than President Trump’s accomplishments, and the Congress passing the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” what has the Republican majority done for their voters?
Americans gave the Republican Party control of the White House and Congress, expecting results. While President Trump has magnificently produced for Americans, the GOP Congress has a scant record of achievement.
One way to address these complaints is to deliver on election integrity, an issue of extreme importance to MAGA supporters. Several bills have been introduced, including the SAVE Act, which will forbid non-citizens from registering to vote in federal elections.
On Thursday, U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced a companion bill, the SAVE America Act, which would also include a photo identification requirement for voters.
Americans are required to show a photo identification for cashing a check, entering a federal building, buying alcohol or cigarettes, air travel, renting a car or home, and so much more. It is ludicrous that photo identification is not required nationwide to vote.
According to GOP activist Scott Presler, if Congress does not pass an “election reform” bill, “it’s very likely that Republican voters will not come out on Tuesday, November third, and we very likely could lose the House of Representatives, and…even lose (the) Senate.”
Take heed Republicans, get moving, congressional control is at stake.
Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award-winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs Saturdays from Noon until 1 p.m. CT nationally on Real America’s Voice TV Network & AmericasVoice.News and weekdays from 7-9 a.m. & 6-7 p.m. CT on WGSO 990-AM & Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America’s Last Chance, and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and at Crouere.net. For more information, email him at jcrouere@gmail.com
