Day: February 4, 2026
All optics? Democrats claim ‘historic victory’ flipping deep-red Texas Senate district — but here’s what they omit
Democratic allies and legacy media outlets are celebrating Taylor Rehmet’s victory in Texas Senate District 9’s special runoff as a historic upset for Republicans — but they fail to note that Rehmet will likely never even cast a vote unless he wins again later this year.
Mark Lucas, the founder of Veteran Action, stated that a progressive political action committee funded by George Soros spent $500,000 to flip the Texas Senate race in a district where President Donald Trump secured a 17-point victory.
‘The Democrats were energized. Too many Republicans stayed home.’
“My org @VeteranAction is incredibly important to counter the left’s attempt to chip away at the veteran vote — something the GOP cannot afford to take for granted,” Lucas wrote. “Meanwhile, the radical left is investing heavily to recruit veteran candidates to retake the House in 2026. They will quickly impeach Trump and obstruct our AMERICA FIRST agenda.”
George Soros’ Open Society Foundations provided $2.58 million in grants to VoteVets Action Fund from 2019 to 2024, according to the foundation’s website. The grants included support for the organization’s advocacy of “progressive, diplomacy-first foreign policy,” “congressional war powers,” and “preventing executive abuse.”
On January 31, VoteVets announced in a post on X that it was proud to have endorsed and financially supported Rehmet with “over $500K” in an independent expenditure.
Rehmet defeated Republican opponent Leigh Wambsganss, securing a 14-point victory.
RELATED: ‘Dead on arrival’: Chuck Schumer says Dems will ‘go all out’ to defeat voter ID bill
Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images
VoteVets celebrated Rehmet’s victory in flipping the district blue in the special runoff election, noting that a Democrat had not been elected in decades.
Legacy media outlets and Rehmet’s Democratic supporters have portrayed the election as a massive political upset for Republicans.
RELATED: Exclusive: SAVE Act hangs in the balance as Republican Study Committee pushes for Senate passage
Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Despite the substantial funds the Democrats invested in the race, it seems these efforts were primarily for show, as the seat will be contested again in November 2026 for a full four-year term. Further, the Republicans in the Texas Senate hold a solid majority, and the legislature is not in session until January 2027.
The Texas Scorecard noted that the special election runoff saw low turnout, with just under 95,000 ballots cast, representing roughly 15% of all registered voters.
Rehmet and Wambsganss are expected to run against one another again in the November election.
Wambsganss called the January 31 election results “a wakeup call for Republicans in Tarrant County, Texas, and the nation.”
“The Democrats were energized. Too many Republicans stayed home. … Mr. Rehmet and I will face each other again in November, and I fully expect the results to be different,” she stated. “The dynamics of a Special Election are fundamentally different from a November General Election.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Asia Rose Simpson highlights mental health in winning answer at Miss World Philippines 2026
During the final round of the competition, which was the Q&A portion, Asia Rose Simpson was asked: “Do you believe social media has helped or hurt society?”
Krishnah Gravidez performs ‘A Million Dreams’ as she takes final walk as Miss World Philippines
Krishnah Gravidez has officially ended her journey as Miss World Philippines.
Wife assumes post of acting mayor in Minglanilla, Cebu
The first councilor of the Municipality of Minglanilla, Cebu has assumed the post of acting mayor, following a one-year preventive suspension served by the Office of the Ombudsman against Mayor Rajiv Enad and eight councilors of the town.
Son of late Libyan leader Gaddafi has been killed, sources say
The most prominent son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, has been killed, sources close to the family, his lawyer Khaled el-Zaydi and Libyan media said on Tuesday.
Musk calls Spanish PM a ‘tyrant’ after Spain announces sweeping social media crackdown
Spain’s PM Pedro Sánchez unveiled plans to hold social media executives criminally liable, sparking Elon Musk’s profane “tyrant” response on X platform.
Chinese-linked biolab discovered in Las Vegas home sparks federal investigation with SWAT response
Las Vegas biolab investigation linked to accused Chinese fugitive facing federal charges in California. Property manager arrested in connection to case.
Families of 3 Massachusetts women who died at Belize resort file $100m lawsuit against hotel, Expedia: report
Families of three Massachusetts women who died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a Belize resort have filed a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit.
12-year-old allegedly alive underwater for minutes before fatal scuba class failure: lawsuit
Parents sue Texas dive shop after 12-year-old Dylan Harrison allegedly drowned during scuba diving class. Lawsuit claims death was entirely preventable.
California approves controversial sharpshooter plan to eradicate invasive deer on Catalina Island
A controversial plan has been approved to remove Catalina Island’s invasive deer using ground-based shooters, following backlash against earlier proposals for aerial shooting.
