Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Conner Eldridge: One senator can ‘get something done’

The 2016 Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, Conner Eldridge, says he’ll bring a fresh approach to old problems in an effort to balance the budget and combat illegal immigration.

Eldridge, who appeared on Sunday’s TV edition of Talk Business & Politics, faces the winner of the GOP primary – incumbent Republican Sen. John Boozman or his challenger Curtis Coleman – as well as Libertarian candidate Frank Gilbert in November.

“I’m going to go to Washington with a fresh attitude, a fresh look at the problems we have. I’m tired of Washington and tired of its inability to deal with real problems that we face. And that cuts across party lines. That’s a criticism of Republicans and Democrats that have been there for too long,” Eldridge said.

When asked how he’d shake up D.C. politics owing to the long-standing structure that the party in power in Congress controls the agenda and ability to move legislation, Eldridge said an individual can still have an impact.

“I reject that premise and I think that one senator can, in fact, get something done. To do that, you’ve got to be willing to go against either party, including your own,” he said.

Eldridge weighed in with positions on a variety of issues, including:

Illegal immigration: “I don’t favor amnesty, but I do favor a path to legal status,” he said invoking a bipartisan agreement once pushed by President George W. Bush (R ) and Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona.

Balanced budget: “In Washington, it’s a success that the national deficit has declined. We know that the national debt has tripled in the last 14 years under a Republican President and a Democratic President. Anyone whose been there over that time bears some responsibility for that,” Eldridge said, touting his previous business experience in banking.

Taxes: “I do not think taxes need to be increased. Taxes have been increased over the past several years and I do not support further tax increases,” he said when asked how to pay down government debt and reduce deficits.

You can watch his full interview in the video below.