Early voting begins Wednesday in the special election runoff for Texas Senate District 9, as Republican Leigh Wambsganss faces Democrat Taylor Rehmet in a high-profile contest to fill a vacant seat in a normally Republican district.
The runoff election day is set for Saturday, January 31, after neither candidate secured a majority in the initial special election.
The race is to replace former State Sen. Kelly Hancock, who resigned last year to become the state’s acting comptroller.
While Senate District 9 has long been held by Republicans, Democrats have expressed optimism that the unusual timing of the runoff, paired with low turnout in special elections, could give Rehmet a path to victory.
Republican leaders, including President Donald Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have publicly backed Wambsganss.
Democrats, meanwhile, have rallied around Rehmet, with figures such as Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke and State Rep. James Talarico promoting his campaign in the final stretch ahead of the runoff.
The seat became the center of heightened attention during the special election late last year after former Southlake Mayor John Huffman, who finished third, received significant support from casino interests, including a $500,000 contribution from the Texas Sands PAC.
The winner of the January runoff will serve out the remainder of Hancock’s unexpired term, which runs through the end of 2026.
However, the political fight for Senate District 9 will continue beyond the runoff.
The district will be back on the ballot again in November’s General Election, which will determine who serves the next full term beginning in January 2027.
Early voting runs through January 27.
