Johnny Garcia speaks during the Democratic primary in May.

Credit: Stephanie Koithan Congressman-elect Johnny Garcia said one of his top priorities after being sworn in will be working across the aisle to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrant workers - a step beyond the legal protections proposed in existing bipartisan legislation.

Garcia, a San Antonio Democrat who won Tuesday in a Republican-gerrymandered district, told reporters on a Friday call with civic engagement and advocacy organization VotoLatino that the change is necessary for the South Texas economy.