In a speech before cheering supporters, Democrat Taylor Rehmet dedicated his victory “to everyday working people.”

Democrats scored a major upset on Saturday, as machinist union leader Taylor Rehmet easily defeated Republican opponent Leigh Wambsganss in a state senate special election held in a deep-red district that Donald Trump carried by 17 percentage points in 2024.

With nearly all votes counted, Rehmet holds a 14-point lead in Texas’ Senate District 9, which covers a large portion of Tarrant County.

Republican opponent Wambsganss conceded defeat in the race but vowed to win an upcoming rematch in November.

“The dynamics of a special election are fundamentally different from a November general election,” Wambsganss said. “I believe the voters of Senate District 9 and Tarrant County Republicans will answer the call in November.”

  • Mulligrubs@lemmy.world
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    11 minutes ago

    Of course! That’s the good cop/bad cop pattern that is US politics.

    Party A makes a horrible mess and makes intractable changes that are never reversed.

    Party B “saves” the people with landslide election, making small temporary concessions to much fanfare whilst leaving all of the actual nightmare machine built in the prior decade untouched (example Patriot Act, Citizens United, more).

    “We were so close!”

    “Just a few more votes!”

    “We can’t make these changes overnight”

    Stagnate for a generation or so and rake in immense treasures.

    “Oh no we’ve printed too much money”, “help all of our manufacturing went to Mexico”, et al spiraling problems and out of control mess.

    Party A, the same party that 10-20 years ago wrecked absolutely everything, is here to save the day! Finally! This is the last election! They have had to collect only “significant treasures” for some time, we have to switch it up again so they can now make “immense treasures”.

    Parties then actually change and/or eliminate their “platform” and even switch places completely here and there. The “donors” and political elite remain the exact. same. people. The Fed keeps on working, and somehow even with the Fed keeping a firm hand, the banks make record profits. Oh no! they will collapse from their own profiteering fraud, we need to give them tax money so they can make money with the money they already made money with for 20 years. They will pay us back, of course… but only AFTER they “print” all of that money that costs them nothing to print to pay us back with. Wait, they don’t even bother to “print” it, it’s just a number in a server. It’s even easier, the rug pull is so simple. Somehow, every year the banks/corps/robber barons own more land and gold and the actual people own less.

    Rinse and repeat from 1970s until today! We will be saved from the villains who saved us from the villains who saved us from those other villains! We’re a democracy, see?

    (I hope I’m wrong and instead they have a constitutional convention and SAVE THE WORLD and universal healthcare and “chicken in every pot” New Deal politics and firm corporate control and monopoly busting and separation of church-state cemented and banks removed from banking regulation and so much more. but I don’t think so.)

  • Jumi@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    Like that would change anything, your “Dems” are just as corrupt as your “Republicans”

      • Jumi@lemmy.world
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        10 hours ago

        How much of this shit would have happened if they were actually against it?

        • Triasha@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          Do you think we live in a democracy or a dictatorship?

          Can the tories stop labor in great Britain?

          Can the conservatives in Canada stop the liberals right now?

          What do you expect from the party we DIDN’T VOTE FOR?

          • Jumi@lemmy.world
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            5 hours ago

            The US is more an oligarchy than anything else or do you actually believe you live in a democratic system?

            • Triasha@lemmy.world
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              40 minutes ago

              Do you think the votes are rigged?

              Do you think laws can’t be passed? Did the deep state create Obamacare and pretend it was Obama and the Democrats?

              What about the chips act? The inflation reduction act? Are they pretending to pass laws?

  • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I mean, fingers crossed.

    Republicans have a long and storied history of fighting unfairly. And this will definitely put the fear of God in them

  • Horsey@lemmy.world
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    22 hours ago

    While Fort Worth is a red city, it’s still a major city in the Dallas area. Fort Worth is not full of rednecks who work the fields

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      22 hours ago

      He’s not on AIPAC tracker yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was. Democrats are just Israeli and billionaire shills. They don’t give a shit about the common man.

      • TunaLobster@lemmy.world
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        18 hours ago

        Because the Patriot Mobile executive is a better option… At least vote. We can fix a lot of stuff later, but getting there in one piece is important.

        • E_coli42@lemmy.world
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          2 hours ago

          Well duh. I don’t see how my comment is being inflated with me not voting Democrat or not voting. “Democrats are the lesser of two evils” is a very common thing that leftists say.

      • Formfiller@lemmy.world
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        22 hours ago

        True but there’s an influx of anti Israel dems running but it’s hard because they’re up against AIPAC

  • FisherOfSaints@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Republican Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick reacted somberly to the news of Rehmet’s victory, warning in a social media post that the result was “a wake-up call for Republicans across Texas.”

    “Our voters cannot take anything for granted,” Patrick emphasized.

    Totally forgotten who works for whom in this arrangement. That’s how deep the fascism is baked in.

    • jj4211@lemmy.world
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      18 hours ago

      Though a claim that the right voters just didn’t show up would help if magically the GOP carried the district in just 10 months when there is almost nothing free and fair that one could imagine causing such a rematch to change to the tune of a 14 point swing …

  • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    Its a minor rumble until its multiple GOP upsets. Who is to say this guy really is a democrat?

    Edit: Apparently I’ve triggered someone who won’t and probably can’t answer the question. I really would like to know what this guys stance is but I haven’t found much to lead me to believe he isn’t another like schumer. I fed the troll below way too long but the question stands.

    Is this guy a GOP plant or is he just making all the right noises.

    Before you start talking about “he is a union man”. I’ve known union men who moved up into the leadership of a union and started shitting all over those below them. I’ve been in a union and know how ‘leadership’ act in their own best interest at the expense of those they represent. Had our locals buisness manager move up to the international and support a increase in our dues and signed a deal to let rats work on the same job with us.

    So one of you downvoters other than whats his name? Tell me what kind of a guy this guy is or if you don’t know stay silent. Silly me probably all the downvotes are whats his name.

    • Branch_Ranch@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      There’s been many other dem upsets, but I believe this is the largest so far. Dems are out performing Kamala by around 15 points I think, which opens up quite a few up coming races if the trend continues.

    • rezifon@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Who is to say this guy really is a democrat?

      What information did you learn about Rehmet that inspires you to you speculate that he isn’t?

      • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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        10 hours ago

        I just look around at all the people around who call themselves democrat and vote with republicans. So far all I’m getting is crap from people asking why I’m asking and very little in the way of specific points against?

        • rezifon@lemmy.world
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          10 hours ago

          It’s not necessary to raise any points to counter a position that raised none of its own. All I’m asking is for you to support the bullshit “just asking questions” claim you presented.

          • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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            9 hours ago

            I didn’t make a claim. I asked a question. Because I want to know the answer to it and you are not answering it. You are attacking the question. Trying to transform it into a claim/lie.

            Questions are not lies. They are a effort to seek the truth and get a answer.

            Never mind answering. You don’t know or care you just hate people asking the question. I would ask Taylor Rehmet but he isn’t here. Whatever reason you dislike the question I know I wont get a truthful answer from you.

            • rezifon@lemmy.world
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              9 hours ago

              You betray your bullshit “question” when you complain that nobody has provided you any “specific points against” the question.

              Against what? How can a point be for or against a question seeking an answer?

              • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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                9 hours ago

                No I haven’t. I just asked a question that triggered a butthurt troll. Now I block you and the world is a better place.

  • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    Republican opponent Wambsganss conceded defeat in the race but vowed to win an upcoming rematch in November.

    Rematch??

  • DarkSideOfTheMoon@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    This gives me hope. So far the runoff are seeing a huge blue shift. I just hope people go out and vote and don’t be purist saying the candidate is not perfect. We are in this mess because many refused to vote