Texas Democratic senator-elect James Talarico said Wednesday he is open to working with President Donald Trump on border security, housing and energy costs, among other issues.
After defeating Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday night, Talarico pointed to several areas where he believes the two could find common ground. Immigration is one, he said, including efforts to strengthen border security while expanding legal routes for people seeking to come to the United States.
Talarico credited Trump with doing a better job of securing the border than the previous administration, and said Congress should pursue broader immigration reform.
He also called for easing housing regulations to make it easier to build more homes, arguing that Trump’s experience as a real estate developer could be useful. Talarico said regulations his own party has supported have sometimes created unnecessary obstacles.
On energy costs, Talarico said he and Trump both support temporarily suspending federal taxes on gasoline and diesel. He said the change would reduce the price of fuel by 18 cents per gallon.
Talarico also cited marijuana legalization and criminal justice reform as potential areas of cooperation. He said he hoped to work with Trump on issues that could benefit Texans across the state.
He rejected the idea of seeking political payback in Washington, saying voters had chosen him to improve their lives, not to pursue retribution.
Trump had endorsed Paxton before Talarico’s win, which gives Democrats their first U.S. Senate seat in Texas since 1988. Talarico announced his victory on Tuesday night, writing on X that Democrats had taken Texas back.
Speaking with Fox News Channel on election night, Trump said he was surprised by some results but indicated he was willing to work with Democrats. He said he would veto proposals he considered unreasonable, but predicted the two sides could eventually find ways to reach agreement.
