O'Rourke said Oklahomans fed up with the Trump Administration — regardless of party — should "not be fighting back, but taking the fight directly to them."
Like a boxer moving off the ropes, he said.
"And no longer awaiting the punch thrown by these would-be fascists," O'Rourke said. "But throwing our punch first and throwing it harder."
O'Rourke's visit comes as 56 Democratic state lawmakers in Texas are actively breaking quorum during a special legislative session to stop Republicans in that state from redrawing five districts in the middle of the decade, at Trump's behest.
He said the way to fight further GOP entrenchment in Texas, and elsewhere, is by generating the "broadest united front possible."
A good way to start, O'Rourke said, is to donate money to the Texas lawmakers to prolong their stay out of state.
"We've got to keep these Texas Democrats out there on the road," he said. "The longer they stay away, the more likely it is we will not have time to adopt new congressional maps in the state of Texas."
The second thing is to make sure Democrats win Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District during the 2026 midterm elections.
That's Republican Rep. Stephanie Bice's district. So far Bice is slated to run as an incumbent against Democrat Jena Nelson, the 2022 candidate for state superintendent who lost that race with 43% of the statewide vote to Ryan Walters.
But Nelson won 56% of Oklahoma County and 52% of Cleveland County, which together make up the majority of the state's 5th Congressional District.
State Democratic lawmakers at the town-hall included Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, Sen. Carri Hicks, Rep. Ellen Pogemiller and Rep. Ellyn Hefner.
Hicks said a big part of being on the offensive means not letting up when the advocacy gets hard.
"I think, you know, what really resonated with me is to just continue to steel yourself and not give up and not be dismayed when it feels like the supermajority is taking up all the space in every conversation," she said.
"But to continue to pivot to the dreams and aspirations that the Democrats bring to this great state, which is to ensure that folks can earn a living in their jobs by raising the minimum wage, by making sure that folks have access to childcare, by making sure that, you know, folks and families are being looked out for instead of being put on the chopping block."
She also hinted a top priority is ensuring everyone can vote in Oklahoma.
"When we have 4 million residents, 3 million are eligible to vote and only 2 million are registered, and only 1 million show up in each and every single election," she said. "That means that there's a lot of opportunity to change the course, not just for Oklahoma's future, but for our country."
Right now, registered independent voters can't vote in Republican primaries — which is where most of this state's elections are decided. That cuts out nearly half a million voters from benefiting from state and local-level representation. However, State Question 836, a ballot initiative to open up Oklahoma's primaries, is slated to appear during the 2026 midterm elections.
But despite the positivity and hope emitted from O'Rourke, state lawmakers and most attendees, some still hope to see the lip service turn into action.
Shelly Minton, 63, and Michaela Bishop, 66, are friends from Oklahoma City who attended the town hall together. Minton is a registered independent; Bishop is a Democrat. It was their first time attending any political town hall, they each said, and they shared one major reason for finally showing up. Fear.
"I just know we can't keep going in the same direction that the country is going," Minton said. "It's scary. It's very scary."
Bishop seconded her friend's point, saying she's never felt this much political fear in her life, and she's voted in every election since she was a young woman. O'Rourke's call to action to help Texas Democrats, and then go on the offensive, she said, felt like a different kind of hope.
"I've been feeling for a long time like, 'C'mon, Dems!' You know? They talk a talk, but where's the action?" Bishop said.
"I think what's happened in Texas with the Democrats leaving the state is action," she said. "We're finally seeing some, and I'm hoping that's the impetus for more action like that. Standing up, really standing… And he was saying the same thing."
