Former State Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) will be advising the state’s first Democrat lieutenant governor in nearly 30 years as she prepares to take office.

Last week, Lieutenant Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin named her transition team during a press conference, which includes Seliger. Goodwin said Democrat State Rep. Chris Turner will chair her committee, while Angela Hale will serve as executive director. She will be aided in advice from Seliger and former State Sen. Tommy Williams.

“For 19 years, I was a very proud Republican member of the state Senate,” Seliger said during Goodwin’s press conference. “…All of you have heard many, many times people say how collegial and how deliberative the Texas Senate is every day, and every issue is a test of that. And the Lieutenant Governor-elect has put together a bipartisan transition because it's very, very important because starting on January 19th, 181 members of the legislature, lieutenant governor, and the governor all have issues of importance to them and agendas, and if they're going to be successful in any measure, they have to cooperate and hopefully, that cooperation begins with this transition right now.”

Seliger, a former Amarillo mayor, served in the Texas Senate until 2022, when he was replaced by Midland businessman Kevin Sparks. Seliger notably made waves earlier this cycle, endorsing Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, and speaking for him at a rally in Amarillo.