Like the USA, the state of Texas also has a two-chamber system with a House of Representatives and a Senate. Due to a vacancy, the 9th Senate District seat was filled last weekend. They competed against each other: the democratic trade unionist and army veteran Taylor Rehmet against the conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss.
In a first round of voting in November, Rehmet (47.6 percent of the vote) had already beaten Wambsganss (35.9 percent). But the Republican had internal competition from John Huffmann (16.5 percent). He was eliminated from the second round of the Senate elections due to the lowest number of votes.
The 31 Senate districts in Texas. The one marked in green is the 9th district, which has now been won by Rehmet.
The case seemed clear. With Huffmann’s votes, Wambsganss would have been assured of victory. Especially since she could count on the support of Donald Trump. The US President called for the former finalist of a Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant to be chosen on his Truth Social channel. The bulging campaign market thanks to donations from the oil and gas industry also spoke in favor of the Republican. Their war chest was filled 75 percent by PACS and Super-PACS. Her election campaign looked like this: her priorities were securing the border, supporting the Texas oil industry, defending gun rights and reducing property taxes through tax exemptions for home ownership. She denigrated her opponent as an extremist who was being showered with money by the Republican bogeyman George Soros. On her X profile she calls herself Ultra-Maga – Wambsganss rumbled as if Donald Trump had done everything right last year.
But apparently this no longer wins in the USA. The constituency that Donald Trump won by 17 percentage points in the presidential election, the constituency that has always gone to the Republican Party since 1991, was now lost by a difference of 14 percentage points.
33-year-old Tyler Rehmet achieved a minor sensation in the Texas Senate elections.Image: keystone
“This win tonight goes to all the hard-working people,” said Tyler Rehmet, commenting on his triumph. Like Donald Trump in 2016, the Democrat could not count on the support of the establishment. 80 percent of his campaign budget comes from small donations. And he also remained down-to-earth in his tone and topic: he advocated for more spending in the public school system, for affordable houses and apartments, for veterans and a functioning transportation system.
The young man managed to score points by focusing on public schooling. The Trump administration is fighting state-funded education wherever it can. The public schools in Texas, on which many families depend, are failing. And the banning of popular books from school libraries angered many parents. Loser Wambsganss sees the problem elsewhere: “The Republicans have to wake up and work harder,” she demanded. «I have an army that works for me. But it’s always the same people. We need more troops.”
Rehmet can only dream of an army that works for him. His advantage is that he knows – and understands – the conservative positions of his opponents all too well. He comes from one republican parents. When he joined the union as a young aircraft mechanic, he began to experience firsthand the benefits of organized labor. That changed his political views. However, he does not see himself as a model Democrat: “I am a worker. For me it’s not about red or blue. We can talk at length about party politics, but I strive for unity. I try to bring people together,” he said after his victory.
It remains to be seen how lasting his message will be. He will only fill the vacant position until November. Then the next elections are coming up. And then Wambsganss vs. Rehmet also goes into the second round.
Lady Gaga pauses concert and speaks out against ICE
Video: external