Texas State Capitol on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 in Austin, Texas.
Abigail Dollins
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
When Texas lawmakers met for the 2025 legislative session, there were seven Republicans representing Tarrant County in the state House and four Democrats.
State lawmakers were coming back from a contentious election season, where Republican incumbents were ousted by members of their own party. That cycle, Gov. Greg Abbott made it his personal mission to get school vouchers passed through the Texas Legislature after the majority House of lawmakers rejected his policy priority in 2023.
Those efforts helped usher in a more conservative House that — working with the Texas Senate with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick at the helm — would go on to pass numerous Republican priorities, including law changes that had floundered in the past. .
As the minority, Texas Democrats are scrappy. They often have to rely on procedural maneuvers like point of orders and the occasional quorum break to try and stop bills they disapprove of.
But this year, with dissatisfaction for President Donald Trump and competitive statewide races in their corner, Democrats are hoping to turn the tide in the Texas House and hold onto a Tarrant County Senate seat they picked up in a January special election.
Democrats need to gain at least 14 seats statewide to win control of the Texas House and gain political power they haven’t had since 2002 when they were the majority party — a tall order but one the party hopes will come to pass.
If the Tarrant County Democrats pick up two seats, then the county that’s often considered a political barometer for the rest of the state will have a Democratic majority in the House.
Key races include District 94, District 96 and District 97.
“We know that this is a battleground county for us,” said State Rep. Christina Morales, a Houston Democrat who chairs the House Democratic Campaign Committee, who has been campaigning for House candidates across the state, including in Tarrant County.
The goal is to flip the House and Morales is optimistic, but she also doesn’t want to give false hope. It will all come down to how many people turn out, she said near the start of early voting. Conservatively, she can see Democrats flipping five to eight seats, she said at the time.
The path to Democratic control is steeper in the Senate, where elections are staggered. Locally, Sen. Taylor Rehmet, a Fort Worth Democrat, is set for a rematch against his special election opponent, Republican Leigh Wambsganss of Southlake in District 9.
Republicans aren’t taking legislative victories for granted.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows of Lubbock, up for reelection himself, is campaigning statewide and spending big in hopes of keeping the GOP majority intact.
And even if the majority remains locked in, Republicans will want to make sure the margin is wide between the number of GOP lawmakers and Democrats. (The thinner the gap is, the easier it is for Democrats to pick up crossover votes on legislation.)
“Texas House Republicans have been on the front lines fighting for the future of our great state, standing up for our values and advancing the conservative policies that make Texas stronger,” Burrows said in an Oct. 19 statement. “This election cycle, we have our work cut out for us.”
House District 94
House District 94 is open for taking, with state Rep. Tony Tinderholt — an Arlington Republican and one of the chamber’s most conservative members — running for the Tarrant County Commissioners Court after six terms.
Republican Cheryl Bean of Fort worth and Democrat Katie O’Brien Duzan are vying to replace the longtime lawmaker in the district that spans Dalworthington Gardens and Pantego, as well as parts of Arlington, Bedford, Euless, Fort Worth and Hurst.
The race is among the seats targeted by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which wades into races nationwide to try and elect Democrats to state legislatures. House District 94 and Senate District 9 are the only Tarrant County seats included among the 15 districts the national group is focusing on.
O’Brien Duzan, who is from Arlington and works as a vice president of marketing for Veeva Systems, said she jumped into the race because she’s an everyday person who wants to see more everyday people representing the community. Texas’ voucher program, which lets state dollars be used for private and homeschooled educations, was the final straw for her entering the election.
Her priorities include lowering costs by expanding Medicaid, fully funded pre-kindergarten and decreasing property taxes in a sustainable way. She also wants to strengthen public schools by increasing how much money districts get per student and allocating funding based on enrollment rather than attendance.
O’Brien Duzan also supports raising the minimum wage and an independent redistricting commission for drawing the boundaries of political districts.
Bean, who has a background in general contracting, was not available for an interview. On her campaign website she advocates for making groceries and everyday necessities more affordable, job protections, keeping kids safe online, supporting teacher while providing a good education for all Texas children, emergency services funding and an “all-of-the-above energy strategy” that prioritizes natural gas, bolsters the power grid and promotes affordability energy.
She also wants to make it easy to vote but hard to cheat, property taxes lowered and ultimately eliminated and eliminate “foreign threats within our borders” like the trafficking of people and drugs, property taxes lowered and ultimately eliminated.
Bean pitched herself as the candidate that will vote for “common sense versus crazy” at an Oct. 28 get out the vote event with other Republican candidates. She faced state Rep. John McQueeney, a Fort Worth Republican, in a 2024 runoff for House District 97.
Bean has faced calls for her resignation as chair of the Texas Center for Arts and Academics following several social media posts, including one of an AI generated image of WNBA player Sophie Cunningham. The image in the post, which has been deleted, was a depiction of “Washington Crossing the Delaware” featuring Cunningham and other players. The Black players portrayed are wearing floaties, while the white players were not. The photo was captioned, “IYKYK A little humor for the day.”
O’Brien Duzan recently criticized Bean for the late filing of a campaign report that was due on Oct. 26. It was filed three days later, according to Texas Ethics Commission records. In the news release, O’Brien Duzan also noted that much of Bean’s funding can be traced back to West Texas billionaire and Republican megadonor Tim Dunn.
The political action committee Texans United for a Conservative Majority that’s largely funded by Dunn has waded into a number of Tarrant County races in recent years, including this election cycle. This year, the PAC has also funded another political action committee, Texans for Common Sense, that is behind mailers in several races.
House District 96
Rep. David Cook, a Mansfield Republican who represents House District 96, is running for an open Tarrant County Senate seat, offering another opportunity for Democratic gains against an opponent who won’t have an incumbency advantage.
Bidding for the southeast Tarrant County-based seat are Republican Ellen Fleischmann and Democrat Ebony Turner of Mansfield. The district includes all of Rendon and Kennedale, as well as parts of Arlington, Burleson, Crowley, Fort Worth and Mansfield.
Fleischman, who works as an attorney and is the daughter of Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells, did not respond to written questions after her campaign said she wasn’t available for an interview.
Her priorities include keeping criminals and fentanyl off the streets, holding “rogue prosecutors and judges” accountable, cutting red tape to help small businesses grow, funding for teachers and students and fighting lawsuit abuse that drives up insurance costs, according to her campaign website.
“As a business owner, I know every dollar matters,” Fleischmann told the League of Women Voters for the group’s candidate questionnaire. “As an attorney, I know laws must be clear, fair and enforced. As a mother, I know bad decisions in Austin do not stay in Austin – they raise costs, weaken public safety, and threaten the future our children deserve.”
Turner, who is also an attorney, ran for the district in 2024 in a general election against Cook.
Like O’Brien Duzan, she was motivated by voucher opposition when entering the race, as well as better funding for public schools. Turner said she has a son with down syndrome who is in public schools and requires special education services that sometimes lack the necessary state funding.
“My son can’t wait; he’s not getting any younger,” Turner said. “So that’s why I’m back in the fight.”
In addition to funding public education, her priorities are lowering the cost of gas and groceries and access to affordable healthcare by expanding Medicaid.
“I feel that people are fed up, and they’re ready for change,” Turner said.
House District 97
McQueeney, a Fort Worth Republican, is facing Democrat Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin of Fort Worth as he runs for a second term in the House District 97. The district covers Benbrook, White Settlement, most of Crowley and Fort Worth.
He, Fleischmann and Bean were among the North Texas candidates Burrows, the House Speaker, stumped for during a swing through North Texas earlier in October.
“The Texas House is committed to putting families, freedom and opportunity first, and with Representative John McQueeney’s proven leadership and the dedication of Cheryl Bean, Ellen Fleischmann and Armin Mizani to these principles, I am confident our best work is still ahead,” Burrows said in an Oct. 22 statement.
Mizani, the former mayor of Keller, is running against Democrat Cate Brennan in a seat held by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, a Southlake Republican who didn’t seek reelection.
McQueeney’s priorities include property tax relief, border security, cutting “red tape” that makes it harder for small businesses to open and grow, a “zero-tolerance approach to encampments in public spaces,” increased housing supply while keeping a neighborhood’s character, funding public schools and giving parents more say in where their child is educated, according to his campaign website. Requests for comment were not returned.
His website also delves into data center policy. McQueeney notes that, “if done right,” data centers and AI campuses offer opportunities for jobs and tax revenue.
“John McQueeney is crafting the policy for Texas’s data center boom to ensure local communities are put first,” the webpage reads. “John’s plan ensures local communities retain access to water, relief from the noise and disruption, and a power grid that stays reliable.”
McLaughlin, a retired French teacher, ran for House District 97 in 2018 against Craig Goldman, who previously served in the Texas House and now represents western Tarrant County and most of Parker County in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“It wasn’t time yet for Tarrant County,” she said. “I was under no illusion in 2018. I knew I was not going to win.”
But this year, McLaughlin feels like she has a shot. She points to the more than $1 million McQueeney has spent, political action committee attacks and the many signs her opponent has around town as evidence.
McLaughlin, who considers herself a progressive, lists doing away with vouchers and affordability, including for health care following her husband’s battle with stage three lymphoma.
“I experienced firsthand with my husband what medical costs can do to you, even if you have insurance, and … that’s something also that needs to be addressed,” she said.
Senate District 9
Rehmet, an aircraft mechanic, union leader and Air Force veteran, drew national attention in January when won a partial term in a district that President Donald Trump won by 17 points in 2024. The upset has helped to fuel Democrats’ hopes that the same can be repeated across the state in this year’s midterm.
“Tonight, this win goes to everyday working people,” Rehmet told supporters after his special election victory.
Rehmet, wasn’t available for an interview, but his campaign website largely focuses on his affordability agenda, which includes sustainable property tax relief, ending “excessive” health care premium increases, more protections against rising health insurance costs.
Rehmet also wants to ban dynamic pricing in grocery stores and stop them from selling customers’ data without consent. He supports child care per diems, requiring landlords to disclose fees before a renter signs a lease and safeguards when AI is used for housing and health insurance pricing.
The January election was seen as a test of Trump’s support. The president urged voters to support Wambsganss, and the Republican candidate regularly linked herself to his leadership.
But in the midterm, Wambsganss has distanced herself from the president and MAGA moniker, at least on her campaign material.
“My opponent has done a complete 180, co-opted some of my messaging about working families,” Rehmet said in an interview with the New York Times. “She even changed the color of her signs to blue.”
Wambsganss said she’s proud of her Republican values and grateful for Trump’s endorsement, in response to written questions from the Star-Telegram. She was not available for an interview.
“My focus in this race, however, is on the families of Senate District 9 and the issues they are facing every day,” Wambsganss said.
Wambsganss, who works for the “Christian conservative” cell phone company Patriot Mobile, said her priorities include lowering property taxes and insurance premiums, strengthening public education and expanding career training and apprenticeships.
She also calls for “responsible data center development,” such as ending tax incentives, requiring that facilities pay for their own electricity and water and giving communities a “real voice” in where data centers are built.
The race has heated up in recent days, as Wambsganss’ campaign and the state GOP scrutinize Rehmet’s tax dealings.
“Before Taylor Rehmet asks for the power to shape tax policy for the rest of us, he needs to answer for his own record,” Wambsganss’ campaign spokesperson Allen Blakemore said in an Oct. 29 news release.
Staff writer Rachel Royster contributed to this story.
This story was originally published October 30, 2026 at 10:12 AM.
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.
Support my work with a digital subscription