>> HE HAS RUN FOR PRESIDENT, SENATE AND GOVERNOR OF TEXAS.

IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS, FORMER CONGRESSMAN BETO O'ROURKE HAD SPENT TIME IN CHICAGO AS A FELLOW.

HIS FULL-TIME JOB IS RUNNING AND POWERED BY PEOPLE, A TEXAS-BASED VOTING RIGHTS ORGANIZATION.

IN HIS FREE TIME HE HAS WRITTEN A BOOK CALLED WE HAVE GOT TO TRY, HOW THE FIGHT FOR VOTING RIGHTS MAKES EVERYTHING ELSE POSSIBLE.

SATURDAY HE WILL JOIN ME IN A CONVERSATION, BUT FIRST HE JOINS US NOW.

BETO O'ROURKE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON CHICAGO TONIGHT!

>> BRANDIS, THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.

>> SO FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS AND THE VOTING RIGHTS BILL.

HOW FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY ARE YOU THAT IT HAS BEEN INSTALLED THE WAY THAT IT HAS?

>> YOU KNOW, IN TEXAS, CHICAGO, AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, WE COULD BE VIEWED AS A NONVOTING STATE.

MANY REGISTERED TEXANS DID NOT CAST A BALLOT IN THE GOVERNOR'S RACE LAST NOVEMBER.

SOME OF THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE CHOICES THEY DIDN'T LIKE, BUT A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAVE VOTER SUPPRESSION AND VOTER INTIMIDATION, MORE SO THAN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

IN FACT, TEXAS IS THE TOUGHEST STATE IN THE NATION TO CAST A BALLOT AND REGISTER TO VOTE.

THOSE EFFORTS ARE NOT AIMED AT PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME.

THEY ARE AIMED AT THE VERY YOUNGEST, AT BLACK AND BROWN VOTERS, AND AT THOSE WHO HAVE A HARD TIME PASSING THE OBSTACLES THAT ARE IN THEIR PATH IN ORDER TO CAST A BALLOT.

WHAT WE NEED IN TEXAS RIGHT NOW, DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS AND INDEPENDENTS ALIKE IS THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE THOSE WHO WILL REPRESENT US.

WE NEED NEW VOTING RIGHTS LEGISLATION IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THAT WILL PROTECT THAT SACRED RIGHT TO VOTE SO THAT WE CAN CHOOSE THE GOVERNMENT THAT REALLY REFLECTS AND REPRESENTS OUR INTERESTS, OUR VALUES AND OUR ASPIRATIONS.

>> DO YOU THINK THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT DONE DURING HIS FIRST TWO YEARS IN OFFICE WHEN DEMOCRATS STILL HAVE THE MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE?

>> YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT BIDEN REALLY BELIEVES IN VOTING RIGHTS AND EXTENDING THE FRANCHISE TO THOSE WHO HAVE HAD IT EFFECTIVELY REMOVED IN STATES LIKE TEXAS, MISSISSIPPI, ALABAMA AND SO MUCH OF THE DEEP SOUTH.

HE HAS MADE PRETTY GOOD SPEECHES ON THIS, BUT WHEN HE HAD A DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE AND IN THE SENATE, WHEN HE HAD THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING RIGHTS ACT BEFORE HIM, HE AND HIS FELLOW DEMOCRATS COULD NOT CLOSE THE DEAL AND IT LEFT TEXAS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY TEXAS VOTERS AND VOTERS IN MANY PARTS OF THE FORMER CONFEDERACY IN THE LURCH, WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO FREELY AND FAIRLY CHOOSE THEIR GOVERNMENT.

SO I HOPE THAT SHOULD PRESIDENT BIDEN BE ELECTED TO A SECOND TERM, I HOPE THAT HE WILL PRIORITIZE VOTING RIGHTS AGAIN, PROTECTING THE DEMOCRACY AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL ELIGIBLE CITIZENS CAN FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE DEMOCRACY THAT WE ARE PROUD OF.

>> YOUR BOOK IS TITLED WE'VE GOT TO TRY, AND THAT IS A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING THAT A REAL-LIFE CHARACTER IN THE BOOK SAID IN THE 1900s, REFERRING TO HIS OWN EFFORTS.

WE HAVE GOT TO TRY.

TEXAS CLOSE 750 POLLING PLACES OVER THE PAST DECADE.

LAWMAKERS HAVE TRIED TO BAN THINGS LIKE VOTING ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.

WHAT IS TRYING LOOK LIKE TODAY?

>> THIS STORY THAT I TELL HIM WE HAVE GOT TO TRY IS VERY IMPORTANT, EVEN JUST FOR ME PERSONALLY, TO REJECT THE TEMPTATION TO DESPAIR OR GIVE UP IN THE FACE OF THE OBSTACLES YOU JUST MENTIONED AND THIS CONCERTED ATTACK ON OUR DEMOCRACY, WHETHER IT WAS JANUARY 6, 2021 OR THE EFFECTS THAT WE SEE TODAY.

ONE MAN IN EL PASO, TEXAS WAS BARRED FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE ELECTION BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF HIS SKIN.

IN 1923, TEXAS PASSED WHITE PRIMARY LOSS.

NEVERTHELESS, HE TRIED TO VOTE BUT WAS REJECTED AT THE POLLING PLACE.

HE SAID I KNOW YOU CAN'T ALLOW ME, BUT I HAVE GOT TO TRY.

THROUGH HIS EFFORTS, HE WON THREE SUPREME COURT VICTORIES AND BY 1944 HAD HELPED TO INTEGRATE OUR ELECTIONS IN TEXAS AND REALLY SET THE PATH FOR ANOTHER TEXAN, LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON, TO SIGN INTO LAW THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965.

SO TEXAS HAS REALLY BEEN THE SOURCE OF SOME OF THE WORST ATTACKS ON OUR DEMOCRACY, BUT IT HAS ALSO BEEN THE PLACE WHERE WE LOOK FOR HEROES TO RISE UP AND OVERCOME THOSE CHALLENGES AND DO SO NOT JUST FOR THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS, BUT REALLY, AS WE SAW FROM THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

SO THIS BOOK, I HOPE, GIVES US A STORY TO INSPIRE AND ENERGIZE US AND REMIND US THAT THIS FIGHT IS NOT AN EASY ONE .

WE WILL HAVE TO BE AT THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

BUT IF WE DO, NOT ONLY DO WE WIN THE RIGHT TO VOTE AND A FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY, BUT WE ARE ABLE TO SOLVE SOME OF THESE SEEMINGLY INTRACTABLE PROBLEMS LIKE GUN VIOLENCE OR ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE IN STATES LIKE TEXAS, OR THE FACT THAT WE HAVE YET TO EFFECTIVELY THWART CLIMATE CHANGE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.

ALL THESE THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WHEN WE HAVE A DEMOCRACY THAT REALLY WORKS FOR EVERYONE.

>> WE ARE RUNNING LOW ON TIME, BETO, BUT YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF THINGS.

YOU HAVE SERVED A FELLOWSHIP.

YOU HAVE WROTE A BOOK.

WHAT IS NEXT?

>> I AM GOING TO STAY FOCUSED ON THIS FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT.

THAT RIGHT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE PRECARIOUS THAN IT IS NOW, ESPECIALLY IN PLACES LIKE TEXAS.

THAT IS WHY I THINK THAT SO MANY OF OUR VOLUNTEERS THINK THAT WE CAN DO THE MOST GOOD.

THROUGH DOING THAT I THINK THAT WE WILL SEE REALLY GOOD OUTCOMES AND RESULTS.

IT WON'T BE EASY.

IT IS NOT A QUICK PROCESS, BUT IT IS THE RIGHT WORK TO DO AND THE RIGHT ANSWER.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON CHICAGO TONIGHT.

>> LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!

SEE YOU SOON.

>> AGAIN, THE BOOK IS CALLED WE HAVE GOT TO TRY, HOW THE FIGHT