A Big Texas Win & What it Means for November
One year into Donald Trump’s second term, prices have skyrocketed, Trump’s approval rating has plummeted, the Department of Justice is being used as a tool of political retribution, and the president has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act as a militarized ICE terrorizes our communities.
Yet, amid this chaos, Democrats continue to have reasons for hope: we have overperformed and won nearly every election since November 2024, including this past weekend in Texas. In total, Democrats have won more than 50 elections in the past 15 months and have consistently overperformed in nearly every election, including in red districts and states.
On Saturday, Democrats pulled off a major upset deep in the heart of Texas, winning a district that Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024. Democrat Taylor Rehmet pulled off a stunning victory, flipping and winning this state Senate seat by more than 14 points.
Momentum is on the side of Democrats going into these elections, but it’s not something we can take for granted – it’s something we have to sustain. Join your local JDCA Regional Organizing Network and deepen your impact by becoming a JDCA member in 2026 if you are not already, so we can strengthen and expand our movement in advance of the midterm elections.
This weekend also included a Democratic win in a special election for a House seat, which narrows the Republican House majority to just one.
Rep.-elect Christian Menefee won the special election for Texas’s 18th Congressional District, bringing the GOP’s House majority down to just one vote. This is a critical step toward shifting the balance of power and making it harder for Congressional Republicans to rubber-stamp Trump’s political agenda.
We need your help replicating these results in the 2026 midterm elections. The Democratic Party is overperforming, even where Trump once had strong support. We are building momentum, energizing voters, and preparing to elect Democrats who will stand up for our democracy and restore Congress’s role as a check on the president.
The midterms are in 273 days. That may feel like a long time, but we have a lot of important work ahead of us to ensure Democrats flip the House and Senate. Our opponents are gearing up to use fear and hatred to divide Americans. But as Democrats continue to win throughout the country, we know that the American people have had enough.
Thank you for your continued support. Let’s keep building toward a future that reflects our values.
In solidarity,
Sam Crystal
COO and Chief of Staff, Jewish Democratic Council of America