By Trendsetter Tribune 
Former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer warns Republicans after Democrats win a Texas state Senate seat in a district Trump carried by 17 points, calling the upset a major wake-up call for the GOP.
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer is warning Republicans to wake up after the GOP suffered a major electoral blow in Texas — one that flipped a deep-red district blue in a dramatic 31-point swing.
Speaking on his podcast The Huddle, Spicer said the loss should alarm every Republican strategist, donor, and voter.
“If you’re not a little concerned, or a lot concerned that Tarrant County just flipped 17 points, you have a problem,” he said. “You can either put your head in the sand… and say, ‘That’s a one-off.’ This time, if you don’t get the message, enjoy Speaker Hakeem Jeffries.”
The upset came Saturday, when Democrat Taylor Rehmet, an Air Force veteran and longtime union representative, won a Texas state Senate seat by defeating Republican Leigh Wambsganss with 57% to 43% of the vote. The district had voted for Donald Trump by double digits last year — making the outcome one of the most dramatic shifts seen in any election this cycle.
The shock result is part of a broader trend: Democrats have consistently overperformed in special elections during Trump’s second term. Recent blue victories include gubernatorial contests in Virginia and New Jersey, along with New York City’s mayoral race won decisively by left-wing populist Zohran Mamdani.
Despite personally urging voters to back the Republican candidate, Trump distanced himself immediately after the loss, telling reporters, “I’m not involved in that. That’s a local Texas race.”
Other GOP leaders did not downplay the moment. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick called the defeat a “wake-up call,” urging Republicans across the state to regroup ahead of the midterms.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. Emerson College polling from January shows Democrats holding a six-point lead over Republicans heading into this year’s battle for control of Congress — a warning sign as the GOP struggles with voter backlash over immigration crackdowns, economic concerns, and political instability.
With midterm elections looming and Democrats gaining momentum, Saturday’s upset suggests Republicans face a far tougher national landscape than expected — and that Texas, long considered safely red, may no longer be the GOP stronghold it once was.