U.S. Democrats rejoice in Texas Senate special election victory They say it reflects growing dissatisfaction with the president donald trump policies,months ago US midterm elections.

Some commentators described the Democrats’ unexpected win in Texas as a “political earthquake,” but Trump dismissed the race as a “local” contest.

Union leader Taylor Rehmet, a Democrat, defeated Trump-backed conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss in Saturday’s election, taking 57% of the vote in the district that the US president won by 17 percentage points November 2024.

The vote won’t have any major immediate consequences. Republicans, who have dominated Texas politics for years, still hold a commanding majority in the state’s Senate.

Still, Saturday’s race could be an indicator of broader voting trends in Texas and beyond, marking a major shift.

“Tonight, a huge political earthquake occurred in Texas as Democrats flipped a state Senate seat from red to blue in a district that Trump won by 17 points,” Democratic strategist Matt McDermott wrote in a social media post.

“Trump personally stepped in — endorsing Republicans and personally urging his base to vote — and suffered huge losses.”

The election was to fill the seat of a Republican state senator who resigned as Texas comptroller.

Trump’s endorsement

On the morning of the election, Trump reiterated his support for Wambosgans.

“I’m asking all America First patriots in Texas’ Ninth State Senate District to make plans to get out and vote on Election Day, Saturday, January 31, for the outstanding candidate Leigh Wambsganss,” the US President wrote on his Truth social platform.

He calls Wambosgans a “fighter” to “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) Movement. But when the results were announced, the US president distanced himself from the vote.

“I was not involved in that. It was a local race in Texas,” he told reporters on Sunday, stressing that he was not voting.

But the US president also won’t be on the November midterm election ballot. This will determine control of Congress.

If Democrats regain control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, they could block Trump’s agenda and prevent him from passing any legislation.

What should people know about the Texas results?

Opposition parties have generally performed well in special elections ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, capitalizing on the anger of their voters.

Virginia voters, whom Democrats won by 10 percentage points in 2020, elected Democrat Joe Biden as President of the United States in 2021 republican governor.

Likewise, in 2017, Trump’s first year in office, Democrats won a U.S. Senate seat in the deeply conservative state of Alabama.

But the swing in the Texas Senate race — more than 30 percentage points compared with the 2024 election — is noteworthy.

The district covers Fort Worth near Dallas and other parts of Tarrant County, a traditional Republican stronghold.

Republicans also poured nearly $2.5 million into the campaign, far more than Rimet and his Democratic allies, according to local reports.

“Wake up call”

The election comes as Trump’s approval ratings are declining. A recent Pew Research Center survey showed his approval rating has dropped to 37% amid turbulent immigration enforcement and an economy that is beginning to show signs of weakness. signs of stagnation.

Rimet dedicated his victory to the working people. “We have to continue to be dynamic. We still have a lot of work to do,” he said after the results were announced.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin also appealed to working people in a statement celebrating Rehemet’s victory.

“It’s clear that this disastrous Republican agenda is hurting working families in Texas and across the country, which is why voters in red, blue and purple districts have confidence in candidates like Tyler Remit,” Martin said.

“This kind of excess is a warning sign to Republicans across the country.”

Lost Republican candidate Wamsgans also described the results as a “wake-up call” for her party, but she was referring to mobilizing voters rather than changing policy.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, an ally of Wambsgans, echoed that assessment. “Our voters can take nothing for granted,” he wrote on X.

Democrats have been trying to make gains in Texas for years. The state is the second most populous state in the United States. Without 40 Electoral College votes, it would be difficult for any Republican to win the presidential race.

U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, one of the Texas Democrats who tried to unseat Republican Sen. John Cornyn last November, seized on Rimit’s victory to trumpet her chances.

“Don’t tell us what we can’t do in Texas. We change the game when we show up #TexasTough,” she wrote in a social media post that included a photo of her and Remit.

Essentially, the Texas Senate results are a red flag for Trump and the Republican Party. At the same time, this result is also in line with the historical trend favored by American voters. opposition party in a special election.

November’s midterm elections will be the ultimate litmus test for the political climate in Texas and the country at large.