Early voting begins today in the state Senate runoff between a MAGA Republican and a Democratic union leader in Tarrant County.

Why it matters: Democrat Taylor Rehmet was viewed as an underdog before the November special election when he faced two well-known Republicans who had raised millions of dollars. Rehmet garnered more than 47% of the vote.

• Now his runoff race against well-known conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss could give a preview of Democratic performance during the midterms.

The latest: Early voting continues through Tuesday in state Senate District 9, which covers most of Tarrant County. The county has 22 early voting locations.

• Election day is Jan. 31.

The intrigue: Wambsganss spent almost $1.4 million on her campaign from July to October, focused mostly on the other Republican in the race, former Southlake Mayor John Huffman, who spent almost $1 million.

• During that same period, Rehmet spent about $65,000, according to campaign finance reports.

Follow the money: Wambsganss raised nearly $528,000 from Oct. 26-Dec. 31, the latest filings show. She spent about $300,000 during that time and still has over $361,000 on hand.

• Rehmet, meanwhile, raised almost $207,000 during that period, which mostly came after his performance in the polls. His campaign spent about $106,000 during those months.

State of play: The state Senate seat was left vacant after Kelly Hancock resigned to serve as the acting state comptroller. The runoff determines who fills the seat through the end of the year.

• Both Wambsganss and Rehmet are running unopposed in the March primaries, so they will face each other again in November for the full four-year term.
• The November winner will assume the position before the start of the next regular legislative session in 2027.

By the numbers: Rehmet tallied 56,565 votes in November, good for 47.6% of the vote.

• Wambsganss got 42,749 votes, or nearly 36%.
• But the combined Republican vote of 62,347 outperformed the Democrat.

What they're saying: "We feel the energy for our campaign and this election every single day," Rehmet told CBS11.

• Wambsganss said on Instagram: "Republicans have to get out and vote to keep Texas red."

Voting hours

Former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon is planning to move his podcast to Texas next month in the lead up to the primary elections on March 3.

Why it matters: The MAGA godfather has said he wants to pressure Republican candidates to embrace an "America First" agenda, which includes non-interventionist foreign policy and opposition to Big Tech.

Driving the news: Bannon has talked about Texas and its importance in American politics in several episodes this month.

• And he promised there would be a spinoff show called "WarRoom Texas."

Zoom in: Bannon's "WarRoom" hosted an all-day conference and dinner titled "Save Texas from Radical Islam" this month in Grapevine.

• Patriot Mobile, a North Texas-based Christian cell phone service, sponsored the event. The company's political arm funds conservative campaigns and is behind the push for "anti-woke" polices on several suburban school boards.

What they're saying: Bannon said at the event that Texas stories have drawn an audience, particularly for coverage of Ken Paxton's impeachment and redistricting.

• "People are interested in Texas. They understand Texas is where the future is built," he said.

Plano's Amber Glenn has won three consecutive U.S. figure skating titles, the first woman to do so since Olympian Michelle Kwan.

• The 26-year-old is set to become the first openly queer women's figure skater in the Olympics.

Why it matters: Glenn had to withdraw from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2022 because of a positive Covid test and wasn't able to qualify for that year's Winter Olympics.

• She's now among the top U.S. figure skaters in the Milan Olympics, which start Feb. 6.

The latest: Earlier this month, Glenn earned the highest score ever recorded for a women's short program in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

• "She skates with so much heart and beauty in her own style and own way," commentator Tara Lipinski, a former figure skater, said after Glenn's performance.

Flashback: Stonebriar Centre and a rainy day introduced Glenn to ice skating at age 4.

• "We couldn't get her off the ice," her father, Richard, told D Magazine. The Plano police sergeant worked overtime to pay for his daughter's training.
• Glenn, who identifies as pansexual, was the first out LGBTQ+ woman to win a U.S. national title. She has also inspired other athletes to come out.

What they're saying: "I want to normalize having queer people in these spaces, that we can be some of the top athletes in the world and be ourselves while doing so," Glenn told reporters after the figure skating championships.

🚨 A Fort Worth City Council member arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated issued a statement yesterday, apologizing for the "distraction" his arrest caused. (Star-Telegram)

👀 The city of Dallas says it spent nearly $30,000 on crowd control measures because of a Preston Hollow house with over-the-top Christmas decor. (WFAA)

🩺 Texas reported spending more than $1 billion in 2025 for health care provided to undocumented immigrants. (KVUE)

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants your input on how to best expand Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.

Why it matters: Enchanted Rock is one of the first parks to be developed with the help of the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, a $1 billion pool voters approved in 2023.

Zoom in: The addition of more than 3,700 acres will more than double Enchanted Rock's size.

• It's already one of the most popular — and crowded — Hill Country hiking destinations.

How it works: Public feedback will help shape trail and scenic overlook locations, cultural and historical interpretation, parking and visitor amenities.

• An online survey opens today.