What happened
Christian Menefee on Saturday won a special election for an open House seat in the Houston-area 18th Congressional District, whittling down the already thin Republican majority. In a second Texas runoff election, Democrat Taylor Rehmet scored an upset victory over Republican Leigh Wambsganss for a state Senate seat in Tarrant County. Rehmet, a union leader, beat the conservative activist by 14 points in the solidly Republican district, which President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024.

Who said what
Rehmet’s victory was a “stunning upset that injected a fresh and urgent sense” of  “panic into the GOP from the Texas Capitol to the White House heading into November’s midterm elections,” The Texas Tribune said. Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) and Trump, “had been sounding alarms” about the “too close for comfort” race, The Wall Street Journal said, but “the 31-point-swing leftward was a surprise across the board.” 

Saturday’s victories “followed a string of wins in recent months for the Democratic Party in local and state elections across the country,” Reuters said. Strategists and analysts view special elections as a “barometer for measuring the national political mood and voter attitudes,” The Washington Post said. But Trump, who endorsed Wambsganss and sent out three get-out-the-vote alerts last week, “tried to play down any effort to connect the unpopularity of his presidency and policies” to the GOP losses. “I’m not involved with that,” he told reporters yesterday. “That’s a local Texas race.”

What next?
Once House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) swears in Menefee, 10 months after former Rep. Sylvester Turner (D) died in office, his majority will be so “razor-thin” he will be able “lose only one Republican vote,” the Post said. Rehmet’s “win will be short-lived,” the Tribune said, as he will face Wambsganss again in November for the full four-year term. 

What happened
Several artists broke new ground at yesterday’s 68th annual Grammy Awards, including Bad Bunny (pictured above), whose “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” became the first all-Spanish-language record to win album of the year, and Kendrick Lamar, who broke Jay-Z’s record for most-awarded rapper by scooping five more prizes. “Golden,” from the Netflix hit “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” won best song written for visual media, becoming the first K-pop song to win a Grammy. Billie Eilish won song of the year with “Wildflowers” and British soul pop singer Olivia Dean was named best new artist.

Who said what
This was Bad Bunny’s second nomination for album of the year, and “the culture wars were seen as weighing in Bunny’s favor,” Billboard said. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” the Puerto Rican artist said, in English, in his acceptance speech. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”

“Expletives flew as ICE got cursed multiple times by winners,” The Associated Press said. The “frequent pushback” and anti-ICE buttons “marked a much stronger showing of support” than at last month’s Golden Globes, but “public backlash has grown since a Border Patrol officer shot and killed 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti and federal agents detained 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos.” The recent arrest of journalist Don Lemon, who attended the Grammys, “only added to the outcry.”

What next?
“K-Pop Demon Hunters” will also get a chance to make history at the next major awards show, the Academy Awards, on March 15. “Golden” is nominated for a best original song Oscar and the movie is up for best animated feature.