Democratic incumbent Taylor Rehmet has had little time to prove himself in Texas Senate District 9. He earned the seat in a special election early this year, making national headlines when he defeated challenger Leigh Wambsganss, who was endorsed by President Trump, in a traditionally Republican stronghold.<\/p>\n
Rehmet, 34, and Wambsganss, 59, meet again in this race, trying to earn four full years representing the district that spans part of Tarrant County \u2014 a large swath of Fort Worth plus suburbs including Southlake, Keller, North Richland Hills and Haltom City.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though Rehmet hasn\u2019t had the chance to gain traction in Austin \u2014 Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick refused<\/a> to give him a committee assignment this year \u2014 he and his office have been busy talking to constituents, learning about the district\u2019s needs and drafting legislation. We recommended him in the January special election runoff, and we recommend him again over\u00a0Wambsganss in this race.<\/p>\n Rehmet, a U.S. Air Force veteran, machinist and union leader, is more poised now while retaining the pragmatic approach that won over voters eight months ago.<\/p>\n He speaks about affordability in a sophisticated way, addressing artificial intelligence surveillance pricing tools at grocery stores and junk fees from leasing offices. He acknowledges the growing appetite for lower property taxes but doesn\u2019t make broad, unrealistic promises to eliminate them. Instead, he proposes that the state take on a larger share of funding public schools, evaluating corporate tax incentives to possibly shift some of the burden off homeowners.<\/p>\n He offers nuance in his discussion of the Texas Education Agency takeover of Fort Worth ISD, specifically noting progress made under former Superintendent\u00a0Karen Molinar<\/a> before she was ousted by the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are positions we don\u2019t agree with, including his staunch opposition to private school education savings account programs and to Senate Bill 840<\/a>, designed to encourage more affordable housing. But Rehmet does show a willingness to work across the aisle to serve the best interests of his constituents and his target group \u2014 everyday working Texans.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wambsganss, chief communications officer for Patriot Mobile, is campaigning on concerns shared by both parties, including data centers and postsecondary education, while also focusing on culture war issues that don\u2019t affect most Texans. She writes that \u201cTexas must come before party politics\u201d while also warning that Rehmet \u201chas aligned himself with an extreme agenda.\u201d She did not make herself available to be interviewed.<\/p>\n We\u2019d like to see Rehmet serve a full term, hopeful that his sensible approach and willingness to listen and learn serve District 9 well.<\/p>\n