AUSTIN, Texas — State Sen. Taylor Rehmet, D-Fort Worth, was officially sworn into office Thursday after his resounding special election upset victory at the end of January.

Rehmet defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss to serve out the remainder of Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock’s term representing Senate District 9, a solidly Republican district President Donald Trump had previously won by 17% in 2024. The two will face off again in the November 2026 midterms for the chance to serve a full term in the Texas Senate.

Rehmet’s swearing-in ceremony, held in the Senate chamber of the Texas Capitol, paid special homage to his background as a labor union leader. Leonard Aguilar, president of the Texas American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)—the largest labor union in Texas—served as the master of ceremonies. 

Rehmet was joined by his parents and others from the Fort-Worth area he now represents, including the Bell Systems Show Choir from L.D. Bell High School, who sang both the National Anthem and “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” He began his address to the crowd by stating that he had not arrived, but rather had been sent by teachers, veterans and members of the community. 

“The people who sent us here are not red districts or blue districts,” Rehmet said. “They are families trying to build a life with dignity.”

He committed to picking solutions over spectacles and vowed to accept the responsibility of using his office to build a better future for Texans.

“You did not send me here to be comfortable,” Rehmet said. “You sent me here to be useful.”

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, and state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, joined state Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons, D-Houston, in presenting Rehmet with a gavel to signify bicameral collaboration. 

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate and traditionally swears in senators following elections, was absent from the ceremony.

Following the swearing-in, Rehmet said he was glad for the number of members and friends he had with him to celebrate the special moment, batting aside the question of whether he will ever take a vote in the Senate. 

“I won twice before; I don’t think it’s a fluke,” he said. “I plan on working just as hard and harder to do it again in November.”