Overview
- Democrat Taylor Rehmet defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss by roughly 14 points on Jan. 31, flipping a district President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024.
- GOP figures, including consultant Allen Blakemore, blamed a steep Republican no-show for the loss, with about 95,000 total ballots cast in a roughly 15% turnout runoff.
- Voters and commentators pointed to frustration with Patriot Mobile–aligned school-board activism and book restrictions as a reason some Republicans and independents broke from the GOP.
- Rehmet emphasized public school funding, health care and lowering costs, while Wambsganss ran on culture-war themes and later faulted voters, the weather and others for the defeat.
- Rehmet will hold the seat until a November rematch with Wambsganss, and analysts caution that a higher-turnout general election could produce a different result.