Republicans Are Stealing Your Rights in Your State Houses | At Our Table

We sit down with Heather Williams to talk about why the fight for Democratic power in 2026 may be won or lost in the states. As president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, she brings a ground-level view of how state legislatures shape the rights that affect our everyday lives. We dig into special-election gains, the battle to break Republican supermajorities, and the danger of treating a strong midterm environment as a substitute for real organizing. Her case is simple: if Democrats want durable power, they have to compete everywhere and build it from the ground up. (00:00:00) Introduction — Meet Heather Williams & the DLCC (00:01:45) What's Driving the Democratic Wave (00:03:42) What Is the DLCC and What Do They Do? (00:05:29) Why State Houses Matter (00:08:14) Is the Party Taking State Legislatures Seriously Enough? (00:11:59) How the DLCC Deploys Resources in an Election Year (00:14:15) Why Your Dollar Goes Further at the State Level (00:16:04) Voting Restrictions, the SAVE Act and Hot Spots to Watch (00:19:38) Florida House District 87 — Fighting in Mar-a-Lago's Backyard (00:21:16) Recruiting Democrats to Run Everywhere (00:24:44) Top Chambers to Flip (00:27:45) Supporting Women and Candidates of Color (00:29:52) What Happens If Democrats Lose Statehouses? (00:32:10) The Sleeping Giant — Why Young People Are the Key (00:34:21) How the DLCC Works With the DNC, DGA and Others (00:37:37) SYAD (00:39:17) Heather's Closing Message for 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices