A stunning setback for Republicans at the ballot box in a ruby red part of right-leaning Texas has some saying the defeat was a “wake-up call” for the GOP ahead of this year’s midterm elections, when the party is defending its narrow congressional majorities.

The double-digit shellacking, in a special state Senate election this past weekend in a Fort Worth area district that President Donald Trump won by 17 points in 2024, comes amid backlash over the Trump administration’s unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration and, as the latest polling indicates, the president and his party are well underwater.

The Democrats’ victory, their latest win or over performance in a slew of special elections since Trump returned to power in the White House a year ago, is further energizing them as they work to win back control of the House and possibly the Senate.

“It’s clearly a wake-up call for Republicans,” longtime Texas-based Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser told Fox News Digital.

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And he warned that the results in Saturday’s special election to fill a vacant GOP-controlled seat in state Senate District 9 “does show that Democrats are energized and Republicans did not turn out in the numbers they should have.”

“If Democrats can win this seat, it puts a lot of other seats in play,” Steinhauser warned.

But Republican sources involved in midterm messaging tell Fox News Digital that while they’re not discounting the Democrats’ victories, there’s no talk right now of a wholesale revamping of the GOP’s playbook.

2025 SHOCKERS: THE BIGGEST MOMENTS THAT ROCKED THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

In Texas, Machinist and Air Force veteran Taylor Rehmet topped Republican Leigh Wambsganss by roughly 14 points in Saturday’s runoff election, despite Republicans dramatically outspending Democrats in the race, along with support from top Republicans including Gov. Greg Abbott and a last-minute endorsement and a social media push by Trump.

This is the first time the seat, in the northern part of Fort Worth anchored Tarrant County, has been represented by a Democrat in four decades.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) called it a “Shockwave Victory” and highlighted that “Democrats have now flipped 26 state legislative seats since Trump retook office, while Republicans have flipped zero.”

The results of special elections are often over-hyped and are not always the best indicator or barometer of things to come. But regardless, Republicans aren’t trying to sugarcoat the results.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the defeat “a wake-up call for Republicans across Texas. Our voters cannot take anything for granted.”

And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis noted on X, “Special elections are quirky and not necessarily projectable re: a general election. That said, a swing of this magnitude is not something that can be dismissed.”

“Republicans should be clear-eyed about the political environment heading into the midterms,” DeSantis emphasized.

RNC CHAIR BETS ON ‘SECRET WEAPON’ TO DEFY MIDTERM HISTORY, PROTECT GOP MAJORITIES

Thanks in part to their laser focus on the issue of affordability amid persistent inflation, Democrats scored decisive victories in the 2025 elections, and have overperformed at the ballot box in other off-year and special elections since the start of Trump’s second administration. But some of those victories and overperformances came in contests in small state legislative districts, where large swings can take place amid low voter turnout.

That wasn’t the case in Texas, where the 9th state Senate district is home to roughly one million people, more populous than the 800,000 people in a typical congressional district.

Republicans, as the party in power in the nation’s capital, are facing traditional political headwinds in the midterms and a rough climate.

More than half (54%) surveyed in the latest Fox News national poll said the nation was worse off than it was a year ago, when Trump took office, with only 31% saying the U.S. was in a better position.

Only 30% said the economy was in excellent or good shape, and Trump’s overall approval ratings remain in negative territory (44%-56%), according to the poll.

The survey was the latest national poll to spell trouble for the GOP.

Trump’s emphasis on inflation was a key factor in Republicans winning back the White House and Senate and holding on to the House in the 2024 elections. But Trump’s approval on combating inflation stood at just 35% in the Fox News survey.

FOX NEWS POLL: AN EARLY LOOK AT THE 2026 MIDTERMS

Border security and immigration were also winning issues for Trump and the GOP in 2024. But in the wake of two fatal shootings by federal agents of U.S. citizens in Minnesota protesting against the administration’s aggressive deportation efforts, the president’s poll numbers on immigration have slipped.

While Trump’s approval ratings on border security stood at 52%-47% in the latest Fox News poll, he was at 45%-55% on how he was handling immigration.

Tarrant County is Texas’ third most populous, and nearly a third of its population is Hispanic.

Trump made major gains with Hispanic voters in Texas and across the county as he won back the White House in 2024.

“I think we might have expected that the support among Hispanic voters in Texas for Trump might translate to all Republicans. That may not be the case,” Steinhauser noted.

And he suggested that “some of the other imagery coming out of Minnesota is giving people pause, especially Hispanic Texans.”

CASH SURGE: HOUSE GOP SMASHES FUNDRAISING RECORDS AS REPUBLICANS GEAR UP TO DEFEND SLIM MAJORITY

Looking ahead to November’s midterms, when the Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to recapture the House majority, DNC Chair Ken Martin said that the results in the Texas special election “prove that no Republican seat is safe.”

Two veteran Republican strategists told Fox News Digital Republicans need to showcase their successes to change the narrative heading into the midterms.

Pointing to the GOP’s sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which includes numerous tax cuts that many voters will feel this spring, Lance Trover said “Republicans have passed significant legislation. It’s on us to go out and sell it and remind voters that if Democrats have their way we are on a fast track to socialism.”

And Colin Reed emphasized that “if the economy starts booming on the backs of the One, Big Beautiful Bill’s provisions taking hold, the Republican Party need to remind America that this was a policy uniformly supported by one party and opposed by another. That’s the GOP’s big bet heading into the midterms.”

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And back in Texas, Patrick was optimistic as he looked head to the midterms.

“I know the energy and strength the Republican grassroots in Texas possess. We will come out fighting with a new resolve, and we will take this seat back in November,” the lieutenant governor predicted.

Fox News’ Dana Blanton and Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed on Tuesday it is “aware” of reports of a possible ransom note in relation to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie.

“We are aware of reports circulating about possible ransom note(s) regarding the investigation into Nancy Guthrie,” officials wrote in a statement Tuesday afternoon. 

The sheriff’s office added it is taking all tips and leads “very seriously.”

“Anything that comes in, goes directly to our detectives who are coordinating with the FBI,” officials wrote.

INVESTIGATION INTO DISAPPEARANCE OF SAVANNAH GUTHRIE’S MOTHER TAKES DARK TURN AND MORE TOP HEADLINES

The announcement came minutes after TMZ reportedly received an unverified ransom note demanding a “substantial amount” of money in the form of Bitcoin cryptocurrency for Guthrie’s return.

TMZ said it verified the Bitcoin address is “real,” noting it included unreleased details about her disappearance.

TMZ said it contacted law enforcement, as the note included a deadline.

Local outlet KOLD 13 News also reportedly received what appears to be a ransom note, though it is unclear if the letters received by TMZ and KOLD are identical.

“Our newsroom also received what appears to be a ransom note, and we have sent it to law enforcement,” KOLD reporter Mary Coleman wrote in a statement on X.

In an interview with Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier on “Special Report,” FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed federal officials are aware of a ransom note while reiterating that local police are acting as the lead investigative agency in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance. 

“The local authorities notified the FBI of it, and we are working with them in any manner they choose,” Patel said. “But remember, they’re the lead right now, and we have to respect that. But we are there to help them in any way we can – on ransom notes or otherwise.”

TIMELINE: NBC HOST SAVANNAH GUTHRIE’S MOTHER DISAPPEARS AS SHERIFF SAYS SHE MAY HAVE BEEN ‘ABDUCTED’

Retired FBI special agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital the letters will need to be authenticated, cautioning that scammers are known to take advantage of families involved in missing person cases.

‪”Scammers will do things that are very distasteful, like scamming the loved ones of people missing, but the police have to take it seriously until they can prove it’s not real,” Pack said. “And it ties up resources that could be devoted to an investigation.”

‬Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her Tucson home at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office. 

While officials did not immediately elaborate on the circumstances of her disappearance, they said they believe Guthrie was either kidnapped or abducted.

A law enforcement source told Fox News Digital that there were “blood drops” leading from the entryway outside down the house’s pathway toward the driveway. 

Guthrie did not attend her Sunday church service, leading another churchgoer to notify the family, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.

Family members went to the house at about 11 a.m. and called 911 around noon.

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE ASKS FOR PRAYER AS HER MOTHER REMAINS MISSING: ‘WE NEED YOU’

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department told Fox News Digital on Monday that officials believe Nancy Guthrie was either kidnapped or abducted.

It is unclear if she was targeted, or if the suspected kidnapping was random.

Savannah Guthrie spoke out on Instagram in a post Monday, writing “We need you.”

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“We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him,” she wrote. “Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment.”

Anyone with information on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie is asked to call the tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

The grieving parents of a Texas girl who drowned during a scuba certification class have filed a lawsuit against two agencies alleging the child’s death was preventable. 

On Aug. 16, 2025, 12-year-old Dylan Harrison attended a private open water class purchased by her parents from Scubatoys, a local dive-shop, according to FOX 4. 

When the family reportedly arrived at The Scuba Ranch, a scuba training lake located in nearby Terrell, they were told their daughter would be placed in a group of seven students. 

The lawsuit also alleges the divemaster assured Dylan’s parents ahead of the class, telling them, “I will not take my eyes off your daughter.”

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At the time of the class, Assistant Chief Deputy for the Collin County Sheriff’s Office William Armstrong was employed part-time as a scuba instructor, and had previously worked a full day as a deputy followed by a full overnight shift as a security officer at an investment firm, FOX 4 reported. 

As Dylan and her 12-year-old swimming buddy entered the water, Armstrong allegedly did not check if Dylan was properly weighted, the lawsuit reportedly states. 

Dylan was last seen alive when the class initially entered the water at 9:36 a.m. and resurfaced at 10:12 a.m. after a miscommunication with a student.

CRUISE SHIP CHAOS MOUNTS AS DEATHS, CRIMES ON BOARD SHATTER ILLUSIONS OF SAFETY AT SEA, EXPERTS WARN

The lawsuit alleges that emergency services were not called to the scene until about 15 minutes later. 

“Based on the amount of air left in [Dylan’s] scuba tank on the surface before she went missing and the amount of air left in the tank when she was found, it can be surmised that [she] was alive and breathing off her tank for several minutes after she was last seen,” the lawsuit revealed, according to FOX 4. “During this time, [Dylan] was alone, in poor visibility, and unable to reach the surface.”

Following the incident, Armstrong resigned from his position with the Collin County Sheriff’s Office.

FAMILY OF BRIANNA AGUILERA SUES OVER ALCOHOL SERVICE AHEAD OF DEATH

The 40-page lawsuit alleges Dylan’s death was preventable and the result of multiple failures after the industry turned a blind eye to safety concerns for several years.

Attorneys for the Harrison family reportedly point to a 2017 video of a staff meeting, in which Scubatoy owner Joe Johnson allegedly made dismissive comments about the safety protocols within the company’s classes, FOX 4 reported.

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“All I know is we’ve killed, what? 4 people? 5 people? And we’ve never even done a deposition,”  Johnson said in the video. “Our insurance company just settles. John Witherspoon says we can kill two people a year and ‘we are fine.’”

Scubatoys, NAUI, PADI, the Scuba Ranch and the Harrison family’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital was unable to immediately locate an attorney representing Armstrong.