KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) - James Talarico, the Texas Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, said he wants to turn Texas purple, not blue, as he unveiled his plan to help veterans and support the Veterans Affairs Department.

"I'm not interested in turning Texas blue. I want to win this seat to fight for all 31 million Texans - Democrat, Republican and independents," Talarico said."My party talks a lot about turning Texas blue. Republicans talk a lot about keeping Texas red. I think the best color for Texas is purple. I think she would look great in purple."Talarico explained a "purple Texas" would lead to more competitive elections that would force politicians to better serve the public instead of resorting to "crazy" culture war issues.

When you have competitive elections, you get better public policy, Talarico added.