‘This is a big deal’: Sean Spicer sounds alarm about ‘8.5 on the Richter scale’ GOP special election loss
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer warned on “The Huddle” Monday that Republicans should be concerned after losing a Texas special election ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Democratic Texas state Senate candidate Taylor Rehmet on Saturday beat President Donald Trump-endorsed Republican Leigh Wambsganss in the race for a seat Trump won by double digits three times. Spicer said on the show that Republicans needed to take the loss seriously if they hoped to retain control of the House of Representatives.
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“I’ve always said that special elections are special. So, I texted a bunch of Texas folks, elected officials, etc., and said, ‘OK, tell me how much I should be concerned about this.’ To a tee, every one of them said, ‘This is a problem.’ One person’s direct quote was, ‘This is 8.5 on the Richter scale.’ This is a big deal,” Spicer said. “And for those people who go, ‘Oh, you’re being a baby again … go read General Mike Flynn. You think he’s a wuss? Go read his tweets. He’s sounding the alarm.”
“If you look at what happened in terms of the turnout, this is a problem. 224 people voted for the Republican in 2022. 50,000 voted this time,” he continued. “Yes, special elections are special. I’m the king of that phrase. But the bottom line is if you’re not a little concerned or a lot concerned that Tarrant County just flipped 17 points, you have a problem.”
Rehmet received 54,267 votes while Wambsganss secured 40,598, CBS News reported on Sunday, representing roughly a 57% to 43% margin.
“I’m well aware, I spent a lot of time, there was a messy Republican primary. This guy on the Dem side sailed through. They went after each other,” Spicer added. “There was a lot of bitterness after the primary. I get all that. I’m well aware of the machinations that occurred on our side. But you should be able to get more than 50,000 votes in a state senate district that you carried by 224 last time.”
“So my only point is the same thing, which is you can either put your head in the sand as a Republican or as a MAGA loyalist and say that’s a one-off,” he said. “And a lot of times I’m one of those people. This time, if you don’t get the message, enjoy Speaker Hakeem Jeffries.”
The race occurred in Texas Senate District 9, which is entirely based in Tarrant County and contains parts of Fort Worth and Arlington. Under its present boundaries, District 9 voted for Trump by 17% in 2024, 13% in 2020 and 23% in 2016, according to data from Dave’s Redistricting App (DRA).
Trump did not endorse Wambsganss until Friday evening.
“The Radical Left Democrats are spending a fortune to beat a true MAGA Warrior, Leigh Wambsganss,” the president wrote in a Friday Truth Social post. “You can win this Election for Leigh, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement. PLEASE MAKE A PLAN TO GET OUT AND VOTE FOR LEIGH WAMBSGANSS IN THE JANUARY 31ST SPECIAL RUNOFF ELECTION!”
Rehmet’s win was the latest in a string of Democratic upsets in state legislative seats that usually favor Republicans during Trump’s second term. Democratic Pennsylvania state Sen. James Malone, Democratic Iowa state Sens. Mike Zimmer and Catelin Drey, and Democratic Georgia state Rep. Eric Gisler all secured special election victories in 2025 in seats Trump carried by double digits in 2024.
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