Democratic Candidate Chasity Martinez Achieves Stunning 62%-38% Victory in Louisiana, Challenging Trumpism

Original article: Golpe al trumpismo en Luisiana: demócrata arrasa 62%-38% en distrito que Trump ganó tres veces

Since Donald Trump’s Return to the White House, Democrats Have Reclaimed Eight Districts Previously Held by Republicans Through Special Elections

In a significant setback for «Trumpism,» Democratic candidate Chasity Martinez celebrated a decisive victory, securing 62% of the votes in a special election held on February 7 in Louisiana’s 60th House District. Her Republican opponent, Brad Daigle, garnered only 38%, according to the complete, though still pending official certification, results released by the Louisiana Secretary of State.

This substantial 24-point margin not only keeps the seat in Democratic hands, but also marks a 36-point turnaround from previous Republican performance in this area, which had been a stronghold for Donald Trump, winning in the last three presidential elections: 2016, 2020, and 2024.

The election was called following the resignation of Democratic lawmaker Chad Brown in November 2025, who left his seat to become the state commissioner for the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control.

While Martinez’s victory does not change party control, as Democrats already held the seat, the political landscape made it a coveted trophy for the Republican Party. The district, predominantly rural with demographics that had been a solid base of support for Trump, was seen as a golden opportunity for the conservative faction to advance its goal of dominating the state legislature.

However, the final result dashed these aspirations within the ranks of «Trumpism.» Despite the Republican side spending three times more than Martinez’s campaign, the former councilwoman from Iberville was able to retain the seat for her party.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee highlighted that although they were considerably outspent, they overcame the Republican strategy through sustained grassroots mobilization and organization.

Committee chair Ken Martin stated that Martinez «ran an exceptional campaign focused on solutions to the issues that concern families the most, from the rising cost of essential goods and services to the dozen rural hospitals in Louisiana at risk of closure… all thanks to Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, and the Republicans of Louisiana.»

Republican Setback in Texas

The Republican setback in Louisiana is part of a national trend of unfavorable results for incumbents in special elections.

Just days prior, in Texas, Democrat Taylor Rehmet reclaimed a seat in the state Senate for District 9, which had been held by Republicans for over four decades and where Trump also won in 2024.

This victory, achieved in a special election in the Fort Worth area, not only breaks a conservative dominance streak in that territory, but also extends a series of surprising Democratic wins in various corners of the United States since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025.

Rehmet, a labor leader and military veteran, won by a margin of more than 14 percentage points against Republican candidate Leigh Wambsganss.

This outcome represents a direct setback for President Donald Trump himself, who had personally intervened in the contest.

Just one day before the elections, the Republican magnate publicly praised Wambsganss, a conservative activist and businesswoman, on his social media platform Truth Social. He described her as «a GREAT candidate» and asserted that he gave her his «total and absolute backing.»

In another post, he urged Texans to vote and characterized the Republican as a successful businesswoman and an «incredible supporter» of his «Make America Great Again» movement.

However, following the loss, Trump quickly distanced himself. «I’m not involved in that. It’s a local Texas contest,» he stated to the press.

Democratic Wins and Republican Losses

Since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, Democrats have managed to reclaim at least eight state legislative districts previously held by Republicans, while the incumbents have not been able to reverse even one of those losses to date.

This result takes on even greater symbolic significance given the context of institutional tension in which it occurs. The loss comes after Trump himself publicly called to «nationalize» the upcoming midterm elections scheduled for November 2026, a radical proposal aimed at federalizing control of elections, which has been outright rejected even by Republican officials, who argued that the U.S. Constitution reserves election administration for the states.