The Rachel Maddow Show Together in Texas: Part 1
9 snips
Oct 11, 2026 
Ari Melber, a lawyer and journalist focused on law and politics, joins Al Sharpton, civil rights leader and National Action Network president. They discuss Texas voting rights, redistricting, economic anxiety, coalition-building, and the fight for democratic participation. Sharpton also explores shifting political alliances, broken promises, and how turnout and community can reshape Congress.
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Voting Means Being Counted
- Ali Velshi argues that voting matters only when voters are actually counted, framing the midterms as a contest over both participation and representation.
- He identifies four House seats and four Senate seats as the basic path to Democratic control, calling the House target eminently achievable.
Redistricting Cannot Erase Voter Enthusiasm
- Republican-led mapmaking could create a major seat advantage without winning additional votes, while Democratic gains in California partially counterbalance it.
- Texas shows unexpected momentum as Democratic primary turnout exceeded Republican turnout despite Republicans having more registered voters.
Ali Velshi’s Family Chose Democracy
- Ali Velshi connects voting rights to his family’s history in apartheid-era South Africa and his own immigration to the United States.
- His family once carried racial classification papers; America’s promise, he says, is that citizens need only vote rather than prove belonging.
