Republicans Should Be Very Worried

[applegrove]

Republicans Should Be Very Worried

February 1, 2026 at 8:09 am EST By Taegan Goddard 98 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2026/02/01/republicans-should-be-very-worried-2/

Democrats just pulled off one of the most startling upsets in a special election last night.

Air Force veteran and union leader Taylor Rehmet (D) flipped a deep-red state Senate seat last night, winning 57% to 43% in a special election that Donald Trump had boosted on social media last week.

Trump carried the district by 17 points in 2024. Rehmet carried it by 14.

That’s a 31-point swing — the largest Democratic overperformance in a competitive special election of the Trump era.

[Coldwater]

1. In a district that trump won by 17 points in November 2024

[johnnyfins]

2. Why worry when you know the fix is in?

[rzemanfl]

4. I hope I know what you are trying to say. n/t

[Emile]

3. Wambsganss had Donald Trump's endorsement.

Wambsganss, a conservative activist with ties to the influential Patriot Mobile, had endorsements from President Donald Trump and other prominent Republicans in the Republican-leaning districts and more money to fuel her bid.

Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/election/article314532031.html#storylink=cpy

[calimary]

5. I bet we start seeing more of this.

As America starts waking up.

This November could be a bonanza for the Dems. A Trump-flattening bonanza!

BUT LET’S NOT GET TOO COCKY ABOUT IT NOW!!! It’s WAY too early.

[Gum Logger]

11. Dems need 4 senate pick-ups to move the needle. It would take a huge effort

[calimary]

12. True. But they own the WHOLE Congress. Both Houses.

Even flipping just ONE of those Houses - either the House of Reps OR the Senate - that’ll short-sheet Republican dominance.

[citizen blues]

6. I agree they need to be worried

But we still need to get those who didn't vote in the last election to the polls!

[GreenWave]

7. Over-performance? Or the new normal?

[paleotn]

9. Hopefully, people waking the f up.

[Borogove]

8. I hope this means that the political winds will be at Category 5 come November.

[LittleGirl]

10. Makes me really wonder about

Those Texas numbers in 2024.

[Wiz Imp]

13. Texas numbers in 2024 were right in line with where they've been for every election in the past 30 years

There was nothing questionable about them. This win was due to 2 factors. 1) What Trump has done in the past year has made him hated by many even of his voters in reliably Republican areas. 2) It was a special elction with extremely low turnout which significantly favored the Democrats who were extremely motivated to send a message about how much they hate Trump.

[LittleGirl]

17. I want to believe the 2024 results

But every swing state? Come on. Never.

[Wiz Imp]

19. No you don't want to believe the results

You refuse to believe the results because they don't conform to your expectations. You'd rather believe unfounded conspiraccy theories than accept that your expectations were wrong.

That is fine. Everyone is free to believe what they want. But be honest with yourself. If you wanted to believe the results, you would.

[Scubamatt]

14. Yes, they are worried . . .

that is WHY they are planning/plotting to interfere with the election - whether its by raiding election offices or extorting voting records, so they can make spurious claims of fraud, or by having their Gestapo intimidate folks waiting in the election lines. Along with all their usual BS intended to make it harder to vote. We should celebrate today in the validation that it is the MAGA crazies who are out of touch. BUT, tomorrow, we need to do everything we can to energize our base and make sure to develop our battle plan for fighting what will be a full court press from this misadministration to steal the election. I hope our leaderships has a plan.

[mountain grammy]

15. I'll rec this cause it makes me feel good. The best person won. the people in the district won..

This is how every election should be, but we know it doesn't translate to a madman running for president and regular, everyday, working Americans voted for that.

I'm still working on it.

[Joinfortmill]

16. I hope they're not too worried. Cause if they are, they cheat

[Stargleamer]

18. It's never as bad for Republicans as it appears. . .

Republicans rely a lot on propaganda to help them win elections and you bet there will be plenty of that on Fox News, Sinclair, OAN, etc. from now until November. Musk himself will spend millions to help Republicans inflict more damage on the marginalized and poor in this country. Gerrymandered districts and voter suppression (voter ID laws, taking away early voting, etc.) all will have an effect. Also they are trying to make Americans more ignorant with their book bans and their attacks on "woke", and ignorant people are more easily swayed to their side. Republicans don't sweat because they know they have all of these things working in their favor.

Even if Democrats win they know our victory is only temporary and the way that Congress is set up we won't be able to accomplish much due to their fierce opposition to anything that would move this country away from the plutocracy that it is and closer to what they have in Scandinavian countries.

[Fil1957]

20. We should be very worried. Because this means that Trump and the Maga Republicans will pull out all the stops

(legal and illegal) to interfere and prevent fair elections this year and forever.

They see the results of this election and have broken so many laws and are in so deep they must try anything and everything to hang on to power, or many of them will face serious legal exposure, and in some cases go to prison.

We must have plans and strategies to counter them, realizing they will do and try ANYTHING to stop fair elections in November. It is existential for them and for us.