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Texas Senator-elect James Talarico says Democrats must hold the Trump administration accountable while also working with President Donald Trump to deliver results for working people in Texas and across America — arguing oversight and bipartisan cooperation are not an "either/or" choice.
Talarico, who became the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas in decades by defeating Republican Ken Paxton, told TODAY he wants accountability through checks and balances while still maintaining a bipartisan effort to deliver on his promises to Texas.
Areas he has named for possible cooperation: federally legalizing marijuana (he told Fox News on Nov. 4 he agrees with the president on legalization and criminal-justice reform, and wants records expunged for "a crime that doesn't hurt anybody"), plus immigration and housing. He has said: "I look forward to working with him for all 31 million Texans."
Context: Talarico's win was one of six Democratic Senate flips that gave Democrats at least a 51-49 Senate majority; he takes his seat in January in a chamber his party now controls, with Trump in the White House.
Balance: supporters see a pragmatic approach; critics may question whether cooperation risks compromising Democratic priorities or whether partisan conflict will make collaboration difficult. His past calls to prosecute Trump (2022 convention speech) are part of his record, but the Nov. 4 position is the accountability-plus-cooperation stance above.
View James Talarico's post on X
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