Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton, candidates for Texas' U.S. Senate seat, both criticized the federal gas tax Saturday. Talarico urged suspending federal gas and diesel taxes; Paxton later said he supports permanently eliminating the gas tax.
As of September, the federal tax was 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents on diesel. The article reports Texas gasoline averaged $3.94 per gallon Saturday, up 69% from September 2025, while diesel was $5.90, up 53%. Gas-tax revenue goes to the Highway Trust Fund for federal highway construction.
Talarico challenged Paxton to a debate the previous week and said he would welcome Fox News' Bret Baier as moderator. As of Saturday, Paxton had not responded, and it was unclear whether they would debate face-to-face before the November election.
