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.”
93 Comments
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world · 132 pts · 202d
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
HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works · 75 pts · 202d
Rematch??
YetAnotherNerd@sopuli.xyz · 61 pts · 202d
This was a special election to fill a spot. The prior person (Kelly Hancock) quit to become state comptroller. These two will be running in the fall, though I wonder if the groups (including some with ties to white nationalism) that spent $2.5m on her will do so again in the fall. He raised $380k, mostly small donors.
Fun fact - Texas senate doesn’t meet this year, so he might not have a ton to do before the next election, but he’ll run as an incumbent, will be getting ready for next year’s session, and it’s also a nice pants-shitting moment for the Tarrant county Republican Party which is already in the midst of a party purity jihad.
(Seriously, they’re suing and being sued by other republicans about being removed from republican primaries, as well as suing to have democrats removed from Democrat primaries)
Vorticity@lemmy.world · 32 pts · 202d
The hell? The Texas senate only meets for 140 days in odd years? How do they get anything done?
YetAnotherNerd@sopuli.xyz · 26 pts · 202d
It’s even crazier than that. If I remember right, every single law is a change to the Texas constitution.
There is also a saying that we would be better off if it were held for two days every 140 years. And there have been some bills that have died (DMCA, IIRC) because they couldn’t get through committee in time, so the “have to be passed this year” had to wait 2 more years.
But they can and will call “special session” for the sorriest of reasons.
baronvonj@piefed.social · 5 pts · 201d
No, changes to the state constitution have to pass a 2/3 vote in the state house and senate and then become a ballot measure for the public to vote on. We have a ridiculous number of incredibly specific things in it, though, so we tend to have like a dozen amendments to vote on every time. But we also have a regular statutory code that is altered by regular bills passing the legislature and gubernatorial signature.
Triasha@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 201d
It's not that all laws have to be constitutional amendments, but our constitution is so long and detailed and a lot of things were written into it to make them hard to change later, so way more laws have to be constitutional amendments than would be in other states.
Mynameisallen@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 202d
They don’t, that’s the point
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 201d
they do it to avoid questioning from thier constituents in case things goes bad, like the texas freeze or the power grid failing and to prevent Dems from getting things done.
Triasha@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 201d
Texas likes small government so much our state legislature is a part time job.
HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 202d
New soap opera -- As Texas Turns
YetAnotherNerd@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 202d
Ha! It has to actually turn. We’ll see what fall looks like.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 201d
if texas runs out of food, they can go hunt some FERAL pigs that have run amock in the state.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 201d
haha, republicans sure are karens, they do love to sue. in any case thier own voter suppression methods is probably hurting THE GOP more than the dems(which incudes gerrymandering other ways of excluding dems from running fairly)_, since they dont have real power in the state to begin with(the dems).
jjpamsterdam@feddit.org · 30 pts · 202d
Yeah, the regular election cycle is apparently coming up in a few months.
evenglow@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 202d
It's just a game for some people.
avidamoeba@lemmy.ca · 11 pts · 202d
It is a game for people who can spend over $2M on a campaign like this and probably do it again a few months later.
YetAnotherNerd@sopuli.xyz · 10 pts · 202d
Leigh was bankrolled by two PACs, one of which is owned by a couple of billionaires.
HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 202d
As TryingSomethingNew said above he might jusy get lucky, because without the Texas Senate sitting before Nov the GOP will have little cannon fodder to blast him with.
One would almost wish there were more upcoming elections like this.
Bronzebeard@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 201d
What is even the point of holding a special election for a position that doesn't actually have anything to do before the actual election?
Triasha@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 201d
The law says there needs to be an election so an election was held.
Bronzebeard@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 200d
That doesn't actually answer my question, it just kicks the can down to: why was there a law requiring there to be an election when there also exists a law about there not being any reason for an election to be held?
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 202d
funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works · 9 pts · 202d
Can't make a Tomlette without breaking a few Gregs.
FisherOfSaints@lemmy.world · 36 pts · 202d
Totally forgotten who works for whom in this arrangement. That’s how deep the fascism is baked in.
anon_8675309@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 202d
A lot of GOP voted for this Dem. They’re sick of current leadership also. Dan Patrick needs a clue.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 201d
they have the tie is too long ken paxton felon that has been charged by not apprehended.
jj4211@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 201d
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 ..
Formfiller@lemmy.world · 36 pts · 202d
Hopefully nobody is dumb enough to vote a republican in for 100 years. What is his stance on Israel?
E_coli42@lemmy.world · -13 pts · 201d
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.
Fredthefishlord@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 12 pts · 201d
Dems are a large tent. There's subsets, like my district, that refuse that kind of money.
Formfiller@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 201d
True but there’s an influx of anti Israel dems running but it’s hard because they’re up against AIPAC
TunaLobster@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 201d
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 · 0 pts · 200d
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.
daannii@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 201d
He's a union man. Might actually have integrity. Fingers crossed.
elucubra@sopuli.xyz · 7 pts · 201d
I'm 100% pro-union, but union leaders rarely have integrity, sadly.
daannii@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 199d
I've never been in a union so haven't had any experience. I thought union leaders were elected by the union members?
elucubra@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 199d
They usually only care about the perks, the grift opportunities, and they often sell out their coworkers in negotiations, usually paid under the table by management, to accept less than they could have obtained.
See the Boeing strikes, for example.
Triasha@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 201d
He was outspent 10 to 1 so if aipac is funding him they are doing a shit job of it.
DarkSideOfTheMoon@lemmy.world · 34 pts · 202d
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
corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca · 18 pts · 202d
We need to remind people that a binary decision means you try for one or you get the other.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 201d
they have to overcome the Texas extremely oppressive voter suppression first.
thlibos@thelemmy.club · 22 pts · 202d
I am honestly afraid the Repubs will start behaving themselves until after Nov....maybe even be able to somewhat reign in their Orange monkey-god and then wait to begin again with the fascism with even more vigor after the midterms. I live in a purple state with a Democratic governor with an election this year. I am terrified that my state is going to elect a Trump lickspittle this Nov.
sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz · 7 pts · 201d
That seems to be about all it takes for voters to forgive their representatives for their sins.
dreamkeeper@literature.cafe · 2 pts · 201d
How are they going to "behave themselves" this year? They can't run away from Trump without losing most of their cult base. I don't know what state you're from but I'd still put money on Dems winning
thlibos@thelemmy.club · 1 pts · 201d
Oh, they most certainly wouldn't be...I guess I mean that they will say they are behaving themselves and a complicit media will repeat this as if it were the truth. 9 months of that and the same kind of shite who voted GOP will cheerfully do so again. It's almost like they will be begging for permission to double down even further denying the reality around them.
Triasha@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 201d
Your optimism far exceeds mine.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 13 pts · 201d
and UTAH'S GOV signed a bill that he can EXPAND the supreme court in UTAH as of recently, for the fear of DEM wins in the state.
SchwertImStein@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 201d
what does that mean for non-usians?
Insekticus@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 201d
Sounds like it means he can put a bunch of his friends onto the that state's supreme court, so any elections held for those positions, while in Dems control (which would flip lots of seats after their terms are up), will be ineffective against the horde of Republicunts he puts into power until the Dems are the bad guys again
mattyroses@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 201d
Dems could pack the court as well
yakko@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 201d
They don't fight dirty like that. Even when they should.
wewbull@feddit.uk · 8 pts · 202d
I know this is a tangent, but does the bible contain many earthquakes?
Triumph@fedia.io · 7 pts · 202d
There's the walls of Jericho thing.
wewbull@feddit.uk · 7 pts · 202d
Some hornblowers make it feel like the earth moved. They're that good.
tal@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 202d
https://biblerepository.com/bible-verses-about-earthquakes-2/
Yes, though based on the list there sounds like the most-dramatic ones there are in Revelation, which is a prophetic vision of the future, rather than about the past.
Revelation 6:12-17
wewbull@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 202d
A bunch of those are a huge stretch, but I'll take the revaluations one.
ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net · 4 pts · 202d
There's one when Jesus dies I believe.
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 202d
Paul and Silas get broken out of jail by an earthquake
Horsey@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 201d
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
Mulligrubs@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 200d
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.)
BurnoutDV@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 200d
I thought it was named "ratched effect" for that reason
samus12345@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 200d
"My child..."
Tidesphere@piefed.world · 5 pts · 201d
I'm starting to wonder why this even matters? The Epstein Files and all the political action we've seen shows that Democrats are there to provide controlled opposition. No Democrat politician will ever manage to make any real change for the better in the country, right?
I'm trying not to be a Doomer, please someone help me not be a Doomer. It doesn't feel good to be hopeless.
Soulg@ani.social · 5 pts · 201d
Please explain to us how to Khanna has been controlled opposition with the Epstein files
Tidesphere@piefed.world · 6 pts · 200d
Good point, I got nothing for that one. Got my doomer blinds on.
mika_mika@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 201d
Hi, I recommend drugs. Possibly start with thc, but plenty of others if that doesn't suit your need! I haven't been a doomer in years.
I don't recommend nicotine as that can increase doomer behavior.
MadBits@europe.pub · 2 pts · 201d
Shmoken a shpliffen rn
inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 200d
Pretty sure everyone and their mother said similar when Doug Jones won too.
We all know how that turned out in the next election.
SabinStargem@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 200d
MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.world · 1 pts · 201d
Whether he incites riots or not…he’s going to try and cancel the elections.
RockBottom@feddit.org · -1 pts · 201d
This is not going to solve the contradictions of capital, though.
MehBlah@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 201d
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 · 5 pts · 201d
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 · 2 pts · 201d
What information did you learn about Rehmet that inspires you to you speculate that he isn't?
MehBlah@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 201d
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 · 1 pts · 201d
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 · -3 pts · 201d
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 · 2 pts · 201d
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 · -1 pts · 201d
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.
Jumi@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 201d
Like that would change anything, your "Dems" are just as corrupt as your "Republicans"
MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.world · 8 pts · 201d
Not even close.
“Sort of or mostly corrupt” v “Cartoon villain corrupt” are two different things. Better is better.
One will pander to you sometimes, the other hates you. Choose one.
LittleBorat3@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 201d
So how much of last year's shit would have happened with the Dems exactly?
Jumi@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 201d
How much of this shit would have happened if they were actually against it?
MadBits@europe.pub · 4 pts · 201d
This ^, right here. Just standing there and watching it all happen while having all the authority to combat it, is exactly the same thing as siding.
Triasha@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 201d
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 · 1 pts · 201d
The US is more an oligarchy than anything else or do you actually believe you live in a democratic system?
Triasha@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 200d
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?
Jumi@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 200d
Do you even know what an oligarchy is?
Triasha@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 200d
Perhaps we are operating on different definitions.
I would not disagree that America is a de facto oligarchy. It remains a de jure democracy.
lmmarsano@lemmynsfw.com · 1 pts · 200d
All of it: most of them were actually against it. You understand a minority party ain't got much power? Even less with their multiple factions not all voting the same? They entirely voted against the Big Beautiful Bill (senate vote & house vote). The vast majority voted to keep the shutdown (senate vote & house vote). It's a consistent pattern.
None of it suffices: even with the vast majority of the party opposing the administration, they lack leverage until their opposition starts defecting. Until government starts checking the administration's illegitimate actions, it ultimately falls on the people to defy & resist them.
Soulg@ani.social · 2 pts · 201d
That's why you replace the individuals with ones that aren't corrupt, are you fucking stupid