Texas Senator-elect James Talarico wants Democrats to abolish the Senate filibuster after taking control of the chamber, calling the rule a “Jim Crow relic” while party leader Chuck Schumer declined to say whether the new majority would eliminate it.
Talarico, who defeated Republican Ken Paxton on Tuesday, endorsed the move during an interview with NBC News correspondent Ryan Chandler, arguing that election winners should be allowed to enact their agenda without clearing a 60-vote hurdle.
“Yes. I believe that the majority has the right to govern in this country,” Talarico said.
“And the filibuster, which is not in the Constitution — it’s a Jim Crow relic. It is leading to gridlock in our nation’s capital.”
The Texas Democrat said ending the procedure would make it easier to address the cost of groceries, gasoline, utilities and health care.
Democrat James Talarico says he would vote to abolish the filibuster, which could open the door for Democrats to pack the Supreme Court and give Washington, D.C., statehood.
NBC: [Elon Musk] says in the Senate, you would vote to abolish the filibuster.
Talarico: Yes. I believe… pic.twitter.com/d1aLJapzNP
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 5, 2026
He maintained that the governing principle should apply to both parties, rather than giving Democrats special treatment.
Although Democrats won the Senate, they fell short of the 60 votes generally required to overcome a filibuster on most legislation.
Abolishing the legislative rule would let a simple majority advance most bills. Budget reconciliation and certain other measures already have exceptions.
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Schumer stopped short of endorsing Talarico’s proposal when asked whether Democrats intended to “nuke the filibuster.”
“Look, we are focused — the first thing we’re going to do is reduce people’s costs and work the legislative process,” the New York Democrat said.
The debate puts an immediate procedural question before Democrats following Talarico’s roughly 55% to 43% victory in Texas, a result that helped deliver Senate control to his party.
It also places renewed attention on a candidate who spent the campaign presenting himself as a moderate, despite earlier statements that drew criticism from Republicans.
On Wednesday’s “America’s Newsroom”, Talarico urged voters not to take politicians at their word when Fox News host Dana Perino asked about the Democratic socialists elected to the House.
“I don’t think you should listen to anything a politician says. You shouldn’t trust anything,” he said.
Perino asked whether that warning included Talarico himself. “Yeah,” he replied, before pointing to his experience in the Texas legislature.
“What you should do is look at my record,” Talarico said. “That is what you can trust, because actions, in my view, speak a lot louder than words. And I’ve served for four terms in the Texas legislature.”
His campaign had emphasized border security and opposition to transgender medical procedures for children.
But earlier remarks raised questions about how his positions had evolved. He previously accused Republicans of committing “atrocities” through efforts to close the border during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Talarico had also described immigration enforcement during the COVID pandemic as an example of America’s commitment to the “oppression of undocumented Americans.”
During the Senate race, his support for voter identification requirements and the oil and gas industry contrasted with earlier opposition to voter ID and his prediction that oil and gas would go the way of the cassette tape.
The senator-elect nevertheless told Fox News that he was willing to cooperate with President Donald Trump on border security, even as he advocated amnesty for immigrants living in the United States illegally.
He also identified increasing housing supply and legalizing marijuana as areas of potential agreement with the president.
Co-host Bill Hemmer pressed Talarico on whether he would support investigations of the Trump administration after Democrats gained control of Congress.
Talarico defended legislative oversight but said his priority was improving conditions for voters, not punishing political opponents.
Talarico told Hemmer, “Well, I will support checks and balances, ensuring that each branch of our government is holding the other branches accountable. That’s necessary. It’s part of our constitutional order.”
He named reducing costs, addressing corruption, creating jobs and improving the economy as his priorities in Washington.
“I am not interested in retribution,” Talarico said. “The people of Texas did not elect me last night for retribution. They elected me to deliver for them, to make their lives easier and better and less stressful, and that’s what I plan to do.”
He said he intended to work for Texans who had voted against him as well, citing his appearance on Fox News the morning after his victory as an example of his willingness to engage political opponents.
Trump, meanwhile, was looking beyond the midterms to the presidential succession fight in 2028.
Speaking Wednesday to Fox News hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, he acknowledged that Democrats had potential presidential candidates he considered formidable, but refused to name them.
“I’d rather not say because I actually know some that I think would be formidable, but I don’t want to put them in play,” Trump said. “People aren’t even thinking about them.”
Asked whether the Republican nomination should be decided in an open primary, the term-limited president said he expected “somewhat of that.” He also questioned how much weight his own endorsement would carry.
“They say ‘whoever Trump endorses is gonna win,’ or ‘whoever Trump picks is gonna win,’” Trump said. “I don’t know if that’s true or not.”
He identified Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio among potential Republican contenders, alongside other figures he declined to name.
“We have a great bench,” Trump added. “We have a great group of talented people that I think would do a very good job.”
