The race for Texas Senate District 9 has moved to a runoff after Democrat Taylor Rehmet led the early voting with 47 percent of the vote. The district, which covers parts of Fort Worth and affluent suburbs such as Southlake and Colleyville, has historically favored Republicans, including a nearly 60-point margin for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Rehmet, an Air Force veteran and union president, is the only candidate remaining who supports casino gambling. This issue became central in the campaign after Sands Casino invested heavily in Republican John Huffman’s candidacy. Huffman received $1 million directly from Sands and benefited from an additional $2 million in advertising funded by the company. Despite this support, Huffman was eliminated after receiving just 16 percent of early votes.
Sands Casino has shown increasing interest in expanding its presence in Texas. The company, controlled by Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont, recently rezoned a 182-acre tract near Texas Stadium in Irving but removed plans for a casino component following public opposition. In addition to these real estate moves, Adelson contributed $100 million to Donald Trump’s most recent presidential campaign.
Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative Republican who opposes casino gambling, secured 36 percent of early votes and will face Rehmet in the runoff scheduled for December 13. Wambsganss serves as chief communications officer at Patriot Mobile and has received endorsements from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick—who also opposes casino gambling—as well as state Sen. Tan Parker, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, and state Rep. Nate Schatzline.
The special election was held without a primary to fill the seat vacated by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned to become acting state comptroller after serving since 2013.
https://therealdeal.com/texas/2024/03/07/freshman-lawmakers-blocking-sands-legalization-efforts/
If no candidate receives more than half of the total vote—a threshold not met so far—the top two finishers proceed to a runoff election.
“Adelson is a major donor to President Donald Trump, giving his campaign $100 million last year,” according to the statement provided.
