Texas Border Business
By Carlos Martínez González
Republicans lost. And they lost big. The Democrats’ return to control of the Senate and the House of Representatives makes this election a political blow to Donald Trump and his party. But a gap remains between defeating an opponent and building an alternative that no celebration can erase.
The Democrats’ mistake would be to interpret every vote they received as a blank check. Some voters chose Democratic candidates simply to stop Trump, without necessarily supporting their agenda. They voted against the frustration, uncertainty, and a particular way of exercising power. Now they expect more than an opposition party satisfied with its victory.
The magnitude of the victory increases their responsibility. It will no longer be enough to denounce what is wrong. They will have to explain what they propose, what they can accomplish from Congress, and what agreements they are willing to build. Holding the president accountable is an obligation; making that their only political project would be a mistake.
Because an investigation does not pay the mortgage. A speech does not lower grocery or gasoline prices. And an electoral victory does not automatically restore confidence.
Democrats need to reconnect with the language of everyday life: jobs, housing, healthcare, public safety, and the cost of living. They must also address immigration with humanity and order. They need to listen to voters’ concerns without dismissing them and offer solutions without promising what they cannot deliver.
Their next battle will be internal. Moderates and progressives may agree on defeating Republicans, but governing requires setting priorities and accepting limitations. If they turn the election results into a contest of ideological purity, they will squander the opportunity.
For Mexico, the border, and North American trade, what matters is that this legislative power produces certainty and preserves economic integration, even amid legitimate disagreements.
Trump will try to remain at the center of everything. Democrats must decide whether to define themselves by opposing him or build a compelling reason to deserve power.
Republicans received their punishment at the ballot box. Democrats received an opportunity. If they confuse these two realities, they will quickly lose what they have just won.
Carlos Gerardo Martínez González is an international trade and customs expert, Executive Director of G&A Customs Group de México, Vice President of CAAAREM, and Co-Chair of the North American Customs Brokers Alliance (NACBA).
