Meet the candidates in the special election for Texas Senate District 9

This is the last week of early voting before the Texas municipal elections on Nov. 4. Some voters in Tarrant County will also have a special election for the Texas Senate on their ballot.

Senate District 9, which comprises northwestern Tarrant County, is vacant after Republican Kelly Hancock stepped down earlier this year to be the acting state comptroller.

Three candidates are running in the heavily conservative district: Republicans Leigh Wambsganss and John Huffman, and Democrat Taylor Rehmet.

Wambsganss is a conservative activist who has endorsements from President Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Huffman is a former mayor of Southlake and small business owner with endorsements from state Rep. Charlie Geren and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. Rehmet is a local union president and military veteran, and has been endorsed by former Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis.

If no candidate wins over 50% of the vote, there will be a runoff between the top two finishers. Gov. Greg Abbott would then have to set a special runoff election.

The winner will serve the remainder of the term, which expires at the end of 2026. All three candidates said they will run in the upcoming March primary for the opportunity to appear on the general election ballot next November to serve the full term beginning in January 2027.

All three candidates recently spoke with Jack Fink for Eye On Politics and answered similar questions.

Why should voters support you?Wambsganss: “I’m the only candidate in this race who has worked for over three decades, not just for one city, not just for one union, but for all of Texas, for all of Tarrant County and in multiple arenas. From being in Austin, working on legislation, working for conservative candidates, working to make sure Tarrant County stays red. I believe the best policies for everyone in Texas are conservative policies.”Huffman: “One of the reasons why we’re seeing a lot of energy around our campaign and why voters are coming out and talking with us in really, really large numbers is because folks want a proven conservative leader, someone who’s experienced, so they can make a difference in the Senate in day one. You know, I’m blessed to be mayor of Southlake for three years, city council six years before that. Also served on a variety of boards and commissions at the city and the state level. Was nominated by Gov. Perry to serve on the psychology licensing board. So I’ve gotten the chance to really serve in a real way, and I’ve got that experience so that I can make a difference for them and their families and their businesses on day one. I think that’s what sets me apart from the other two candidates in the race.”Rehmet: “Voters have a choice. There are two Republicans, that, you know, don’t represent the working class, and I believe that I do. I’m a working, everyday Texan. I go to work every day in my workers union, I turn wrenches, you know, I hear all the issues that working Texans are dealing with, and I want to help represent their interests in the state Senate.”What are your top priorities if elected?
Wambsganss: “It doesn’t matter where I go, it’s the same top two issues. And that’s property taxes and public safety. … I’d like to increase the homestead exemption. I also support compression on the school taxes. That is where the tax rate is pushed down. But that does not take money away from public schools. Our public schools need to be fully funded. … When I talk about public safety, it’s both community, local policing as well as border security. You know, President Trump and Border Czar Homan have done a great job of securing our border, but you might remember those beginning days of the Biden administration our border was wide open. And Texas cannot again be caught, regardless of who’s in the White House, we cannot be caught with an open border situation.”Huffman: “We’ve gotten the chance to talk to literally thousands of voters, whether it’s at their door or at our events, and we hear a lot of the same things, and they’re the things we all talk about with our families over the dinner table. It’s property taxes, our out-of-control property taxes have to be tackled. As mayor, I cut property taxes three times in a row below the no new revenue rate. I’ve got a history and a record of tackling property taxes and I want to do that in the Senate. Also, I hear so much about education. And I love what Gov. Abbott did with, parental empowerment and school choice. I want to make sure that no child is locked into a failing school district just because of their zip code. And at the same time, we have to fully fund our teachers and our educators in the public schools, who will, you know, always be educating the vast majority of Texas kids. So that’s two sides of that same coin. Everyone’s concerned with education. We’ve got some great school districts. We’ve got some struggling school districts in this district. I want to make sure that everyone’s got the tools to succeed and to choose the best route for their child. And the third, really, honestly, is it’s basic, it’s foundational, but it’s so important, and that’s our infrastructure: Transportation, our power grid, our water, both the availability of new water and also repairs to old failing systems. Those are the things that we have to have, those quality of life issues that are so important to our families and our businesses. Those are the things that I’ve experienced working on as mayor and winning real victories on. And that’s what I’ll do in the Senate as well.”Rehmet: “I want to help increase representation for people who are working here in Texas, whether that be, you know, pay, getting respect in the workplace. I want to make sure that, you know, we have, you know, help for our veterans. Me being a veteran myself, I want to make sure that they have more access to facilities that they need. And I know they do, but we really need to expand on that. And the third thing is, you know, our education system is failing kids here in Texas. We need to increase funding for schools. We need to have more teachers and have these teachers better paid, because when there’s 40 kids in a classroom, I don’t see how you can give those kids a fair and proper education that they deserve.”Would you support legalizing a limited number of casino-resorts in Texas?Wambsganss: “Once you pass it, you can’t stop it from being on every street corner. The thing is, is if people want to gamble, we’re a short drive away up to Oklahoma to let that happen. I don’t support expanded gambling in the state of Texas. The law enforcement entities that support me tell me that for every dollar it brings in, it’s $4 in law enforcement and health and human services cost to taxpayers. Again, we’re the eighth-largest economy in the world with a $2.7 trillion GDP. We don’t need the gambling industry in Texas. It’s not a wholesome activity. I’m not saying I’ve never been. In fact, I was in Vegas in March going to this Sphere, we saw the Eagles in concert, right? So it’s just not something that we need in Texas, especially in Fort Worth. You know, I love Fort Worth. It’s one of the last safe, walkable big cities. And I want to keep it safe. And the human trafficking and the, the cartel and the organized crime that comes in with some of those entities is concerning. Let’s keep Texas, Texas.”Huffman: “I’ve been consistent from the very start. I think Texans should be able to choose for themselves whether or not to expand gaming in the state of Texas. There are arguments for it, arguments against it. And I trust that Texans can make that decision for themselves. I will tell you what I do not support, and that is casinos and slot machines and eight-liners on every corner in every community. I would support a ballot initiative to let Texans vote on a limited number of licenses, for these large-scale, multibillion-dollar developments. I mean, limited, like less than ten. And if Texans want it, I’ve, I’ve said publicly I’ll abide by that vote. If they don’t I’ll abide by that vote as well. I think I think we can choose for ourselves whether or not we want to expand this in the state.”Rehmet: “My stance and views on that is we already have gambling right outside the border of Texas, you know, and they’re bringing dollars outside of our state. If we do have gambling in Texas, I would like to see it with good-paying jobs for Texans, union jobs. I, you know, would like it to be, you know, tax regulated. And I wouldn’t want any subsidies to go to it to have it done. If they want to bring their business here, they have to pay full price.”