Former mayor, GOP activist, union leader on ballot for Fort Worth Senate seat
Fort Worth area voters will pick between a former mayor, a conservative activist and a union leader when they head to the polls to select their next state senator.
Early voting starts Oct. 20 in the special election for Senate District 9, a vacant North Texas seat that covers much of Fort Worth and Tarrant County. The candidates hope to complete the remainder of Kelly Hancock’s term, after he left the Senate to serve as acting state comptroller.
Hancock’s exit launched what has turned into an animated, three-way race that will serve as a preview for what could be to come in 2026, when the candidates have vowed to seek a full four-year term.
On the ballot in the special election is former Southlake Mayor John Huffman and Patriot Mobile’s Leigh Wambsganss, both of whom are Republicans. Taylor Rehmet, a leader of local and state branches of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union, is running as a Democrat.
The candidates have been on the campaign trail for months making their cases to potential voters and trying to get them to turn out on Election Day. It’s an uphill feat in an off-year election, when primary ballot measure is a series of constitutional amendments.
Since the candidates are in a special election, there are no party primaries and all the candidates will appear together on the same ballot. If a single candidate doesn’t get more than half of the votes, the race goes to a runoff.
“We’re going to walk until the shoes wear out, and we’ll get a new pair of shoes and keep going,” said Huffman.
The candidates better be ready for a marathon — voters too.
This year’s special election is just the first of at least three elections over the next year.
Here are the candidates’ cases for why they should cross the finish line first.
Huffman highlights his track record
Huffman, 42, pitches himself as a conservative leader with a proven track record.
The construction company owner was elected as Southlake’s mayor in 2021, after serving multiple terms on city council. His tenure as mayor was during a tumultuous time, as debates over diversity, equity and inclusion drew national attention.
It’s an experience that Huffman says has prepared him for the statehouse job.
“I have a proven, battle-tested record of delivering conservative results when it counted most,” he said in a Star-Telegram candidate questionnaire, highlighting efforts to reduce property taxes, expand public safety programs and defend Southlake and its schools “from the wave of cultural Marxism being pushed across the country.”
Property taxes are top of mind among Senate District 9 voters, Huffman said. He touts cutting property taxes rates while maxing out the city’s homestead exemption at 20%.
In his candidate questionnaire, he advocated for raising the homestead exemption to $500,000, among other policies to rein in property taxes and housing costs. The move would be funded by shifting toward sales taxes, which he said would “spread the burden more fairly and grow with the economy.”
“It’s fundamentally wrong that we all rent our homes from the government,” Huffman said in an interview.
Border security and efforts to “teach all kids and fully fund public schools” are also among his top priorities. Huffman said he supports both educational freedom and parental empowerment, as well as strong public schools.
Other issues he hears about on the campaign trail relate to infrastructure, like water, transportation and electricity, Huffman said in an interview with the Star-Telegram’s editorial board. He praised recent legislative investments in water, natural gas and nuclear resources.
“We have to have the state continue to step up and make sure those quality of life issues are tackled,” Huffman said.
A top issue during the past legislative session was the regulation of consumable hemp products. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has called for a ban of any products containing THC, but others in Austin favored a regulatory approach. Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Sept. 10 laying the groundwork for regulations like an age restriction.
In his candidate questionnaire, Huffman said the Legislature should codify that executive order’s framework in order to “protect kids, give law enforcement clear tools, and provide a predictable market for lawful adult products.”
Huffman said he supports Texas’ mid-decade congressional redistricting.
Huffman raised $575,800 during the campaign filing period covering July 1 through Sept. 25, most of which came from the Texas Sands PAC, a political action committee funded by billionaire Miriam Adelson. A major donor of President Donald Trump, Adelson and her family own the Dallas Mavericks and casino company Las Vegas Sands. Sands has been a leader in the push to bring casinos to Texas.
The race has been a whirlwind, he said. In its final stretch — at least for this leg — the campaign is focused on block walking, fundraising and talking with voters about issues that matter most to them. Issues like property taxes, education, “missing middle housing,” infrastructure and growth, Huffman said.
“People want experience,” Huffman said.
Wambsganss says her experience in Republican politics makes her the best choice
Wambsganss, a grassroots advocate turned candidate, would say it’s her years of experience in Republican politics that make her the best person to represent Senate District 9 in Austin.
As someone who’s been involved in politics for more than three decades, it’s usually Wambsganss working encouraging potential candidates to run for office.
But Wambsganss, 58, found herself on the opposite side of that conversation in this race.
“Good government has always been a passion of mine, and when this seat came open, several people talked to me about it,” Wambsganss said. “I’ve always tried to encourage good candidates to get involved, and my husband and I really prayed about it.”
Wambsganss said she doesn’t need a title.
“I just feel like it’s a service, and it’s a sacrifice, and it’s something that I’m willing to do to continue my service to Texas,” Wambsganss.
In addition to owning a real estate business, Wambsganss is the chief communications officer for Patriot Mobile, a Christian conservative cell phone provider. She previously served as executive director of its political arm, Patriot Mobile Action, but she resigned to run for office. The group has waded into elections in recent years to help elect conservative candidates, particularly in suburban school districts.
A well-known player in the North Texas political scene, Wambsganss has racked up endorsements from Republicans Sen. Ted Cruz, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare and three former Texas GOP chairs.
She also has what may be the most coveted endorsement among Republican candidates: The support of President Donald Trump.
Trump called Wambsganss an “American First Patriot” who will “Champion School Choice, Advance the American Dream, Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Ensure U.S. Energy DOMINANCE, Continue to Secure our now Secure Southern Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Defend our Brave Law Enforcement, Support our Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.”
“Leigh Wambsganss has my Complete and Total Endorsement — SHE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” Trump said on Truth Social.
Wambsganss raised $845,000 from July 1 through Sept. 25. Her top donors include the Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC, which is largely funded by West Texas oilman Tim Dunn, as well as the Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, and James Wilkinson, the chairman of TrailRunner International. She also received a $50,000 contribution from Patriot Mobile earlier in the year.
Wambsganss said she supports the Texas Legislature’s middecade redistricting.
When it comes to the hemp and THC industry, Wambsganss said “THC is a powerful drug that should not be available on every street corner.” She expressed support for medical access, under the supervision of a doctor.
Wambsganss’ top policy priorities, according to her candidate questionnaire, are lowering property taxes, education and public safety, including support for first responders and border security.
“Texas must prepare for a post-Trump presidency and protect our borders,” Wambsganss said. “I will continue supporting Operation Lone Star and ensure first responders have the resources they need.”
In an interview, Wambsganss said she wants to see the homestead exemption increased and school district property tax rates decreased.
“I support getting that homestead exemption even higher and getting the school property tax compression even lower to where we squish that percentage down for the rest of homeowners,” Wambsganss said. “And that doesn’t hurt public schools, by the way, that is reimbursed by the surplus in our state budget.”
Wambsganss and Huffman have traded barbs on the campaign trail, including on issues like school choice and gambling interests’ involvement in the race. A recent video posted on Wambsganss’ campaign Facebook page criticizes Huffman’s tenure as mayor, citing a 24% increase in city spending.
“That’s not a conservative fiscal record,” Wambsganss said in an interview.
In a statement, Huffman said he was leading the city through inflation. The bulk of the budget increases were for personel costs, the majority of which went to police officers, firefighters, and school resource officers, he said.
Huffman has critiques of his own for his opponent, casting Wambsganss as a part of the Austin establishment.
“I very strongly believe that we in Texas have elections, not selections,” Huffman said. “She is the Austin establishment selection, but voters, I think, are going to take this into their own hands and say, ‘No, we have elections here, and we want to choose a senator with experience.’”
To that, Wambsganss says: “Yes, I have, I have a lot of state reps, state senators – I have a lot of support from Austin, because I’ve been in Austin doing the work.”
Rehmet says he’s the candidate for working people
Rehmet, the only Democrat in the race, pitches himself as the candidate for the working person.
An aircraft mechanic, U.S. Air Force veteran and the president of the state and local chapters of the IAM union, Rehmet said he has always shown up for regular people trying to make ends meet.
“I’m the only candidate who can say my entire career has been about fighting for working people, not pandering to political extremes,” Rehmet, 33, said in his candidate questionnaire.
His policy priorities include housing affordability, public school funding and teacher pay, and “dignity of work,” which he described as policies that allow every Texan to earn a living wage, support their family and retire with security.
“I’m running a campaign that really unifies us, not divides us,” Rehmet said. “I really believe, if you don’t love everybody, you can’t represent anybody, and I want that to ring true to people.”
Rehmet said voters are telling him they’re upset about the private school vouchers approved during the past legislative session.
“We should be legislating to get rid of the vouchers and focus on getting these kids the best education possible, no matter what zip code they’re in,” he said.
Rehmet said he’s also focused on “getting good paying jobs” for Texans. He advocated for vocational pathways for apprenticeships right out of high school in an interview with the Star-Telegram.
In his questionnaire, Rehmet said he supports “common-sense regulation, clear permitting processes, and fair taxation,” when it comes to Texas’ hemp and THC product industry.
He opposes the Legislature’s redrawing of congressional maps mid-decade, and favors an independent redistricting commission.
Rehmet raised $70,200 between July 1 and Sept. 25. His donors include the Machinist Non-Partisan Political League, the political arm of the IAM union, as well as Northeast Tarrant Democrats and Texas Majority PAC, which contributed campaign services.
The district has long been represented by a Republican, and Trump won 58% of votes in the district in the 2024 presidential election, according to Texas Legislative Council data.
Rehmet said he’s ready to work across the aisle. Democrats and the GOP do things that distract and divide from the issues that really matter, he said.
“I like to be someone that people can come to and work through their issues, whatever it may be,” Rehmet said. “I really think that I could do that in the state legislature.”
Heading to the polls
Early voting starts Oct. 20 and runs through Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 4.
More information about polling site hours and locations is available on the Tarrant County’s elections website.
