AUSTIN, Texas — A federal voting rights bill is expected to be placed on the Senate floor next week. It comes as Texas Democrats who derailed a state GOP-backed proposal were in Washington this week to push the "For the People Act."

That call continues on Sunday as state and national voting rights leaders hold a rally at the State Capitol. Former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke is driving across the state to drum up support for the federal legislation and leading the Sunday rally.

“If we fail to pass the ‘For the People Act,’ the major voting rights legislation of our time, then I’m afraid that we will no longer have free and fair elections in Texas,” O’Rourke said in an interview on Capital Tonight Thursday.

Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to put the state voting bill on a special session call this year, but O’Rourke said he’s optimistic the delay from Democrats on this legislation will help change the outcome. Republicans have already voiced opposition to lowering the bar for overturning an election and that they’ll extend early voting on Sundays. Both issues were big sticking points in the legislation Democrats derailed.

“I don't know that they [Republicans] suddenly got religion on this issue. I think they probably have heard from their constituents and that should encourage us. The power of people reaching out to those who represent them is still effective,” he said.

O’Rourke also noted Democrats need to win elections to enact change and that they “left the field” in 2020 and Republicans dominated it.

“Though we texted and phone-banked and connected at a distance, Republicans took the step of knocking on doors and showing up and meeting people where they are and frankly, that's the right way to campaign,” he said. “Lesson learned, we can't wait until 2022 to put that in practice. That's why so many of us in 2021 have been traveling the state to register voters, to engage with them, to have conversations about what's important to them so that if we show up again in 2022, it's not as if we're showing up for the first time.”

When asked about his political future, O’Rourke said he’s focused on the fight for voting rights right now.

“If we're able to get that done, I want to then think about how I can best serve this state in another capacity and that might mean running for office.”

Click the video link above to watch our full interview with O’Rourke.