Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday set Jan. 31 as the special election runoff date for Senate District 9 in North Texas, where voters will decide who will fill the seat vacated by Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock .

Democrat Taylor Rehmet, a union leader, machinist and Air Force veteran, and conservative activist Leigh Wambsganss will face each other in the January runoff after winning the most votes in the Nov. 4 election, with Rehmet nearly pulling off an outright win with 47.6% of the vote. Wambsganss won 36% of the vote, and former Republican Southlake Mayor John Huffman fell in last with 16%.

The Tarrant County-based district voted for President Donald Trump by more than 17 points last year, and the combined GOP tally outweighed Rehmet’s vote share earlier this month, making the seat l

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