A Fort Worth Democrat who received national attention for flipping a historically red seat didn’t get a committee assignment for the months leading up to 2027 legislative session, a decision he described as petty partisan politics that silences Senate District 9 in Tarrant County.
On Monday afternoon, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced which senators would fill committee vacancies, following recent membership shakeups. Lawmakers aren’t currently in session but typically hold hearings in the interim to study policy topics in preparation for when they next convene.
Newly sworn in Sen. Taylor Rehmet wasn’t among the senators named on the lieutenant governor’s latest list of committee appointees.
“After months of SD-9 having no voice in the Texas Senate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has chosen to silence our district even further by refusing to assign me to any committee,” Rehmet said in a statement. “This decision reflects the kind of petty, partisan politics that too often stands in the way of delivering results for working families.”
Patrick’s office did not immediately return a request for comment when contacted about Rehment’s committee membership absence earlier in the day.
The lieutenant governor endorsed Rehmet’s special election opponent Leigh Wambsganss, a Republican from Southlake who he’ll face again on the November ballot.
“While I am disappointed, I remain fully committed — and as energized as ever — to using every tool available to improve the lives of my constituents,” Rehmet said. “My office has already begun research and policy development on all committee topics, and although we are being denied a formal seat at the table, I will continue working every day to ensure Texas works the way it should for working families. “
Patrick’s announcement was in addition to naming new committee and interim select committee chairs for the interim and 2027 legislative session.
Most of Texas’ 31 other senators received committee assignments. Exceptions include Sen. Robert Nichols, a Jacksonville Republican who isn’t seeking reelection, and Sen. Brian Birdwell, a Granbury Republican who was nominated as an assistant secretary of defense and is awaiting confirmation.
Sen. Mayes Middleton, who is in a Republican primary runoff for Texas Attorney General, also didn’t get a committee assignment. His Senate term expires in January, which means win or lose, he won’t be returning to the Legislature.
Rehmet officially took office on Feb. 19 after winning the Jan. 31 special election to fill former Sen. Kelly Hancock’s Senate District 9 seat. The district includes much of northern and western Tarrant County.
Rehmet, a union leader and aircraft mechanic, previously told the Star-Telegram he’d prefer to serve on committees that focused on issues related public schools, helping workers, small businesses and veterans.
“Today’s announcement does not change the promises I made to SD-9: to respond to the needs of my constituents, to keep my district informed on how decisions in Austin affect their daily lives, and to disavow the partisan politics that hurt Texans,” he said.
On Facebook, Rehmet shared a petition link “to demand that SD 9 has a voice in the upcoming committee hearings.”
He said his omission isn’t an oversight.
“It’s political maneuvering,” the Facebook post reads. “But we know that the people are stronger than the Austin establishment.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years.
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