[1]Swing LeftSwing Left
Hi there,
I’m Zack Malitz, the Managing Director here at Swing Left. Last weekend,
Swing Left volunteers launched the first in-person [ [link removed] ]Ground Truth
canvasses of the year in Oregon’s 5th and Arizona’s 1st congressional
districts, in addition to a virtual Ground Truth phone bank that called
voters in Nebraska’s 2nd.
[ [link removed] ][IMG]
[ [link removed] ][IMG]
I had the opportunity to join a canvass in Oregon and met so many new
people who are excited to connect with voters in swing districts like
these that’ll be key to flipping the House. The canvass leaders didn’t
know most of the people who showed up to volunteer last weekend—they were
folks just like you who signed up after reading one of our emails.
[ [link removed] ][IMG]
That’s me on the top left 😀
Tragically, the canvasses last weekend coincided with yet another reminder
of the violence that the Trump administration has unleashed in our
communities—and why changing who holds power in this country matters so
much.
But in order to win, we can’t keep relying on the same old tactics that
led to big losses in 2016 and 2024—and even the temporary wins of 2018 and
2020. The American electorate has changed, and the math says that
Democrats can no longer win control solely by driving “turnout.” To win
governing majorities that are big and long-lasting, we need to persuade as
many people as possible (no matter who they voted for last or whether they
voted at all) to vote for Democrats, in election after election, starting
in this year’s midterms.
And the first step to persuading is listening—which is why this program is
so important. Rather than following a traditional script, Ground Truth
volunteers ask open-ended conversations meant to foster genuine
conversations and learn what voters really care about.
Starting with listening isn’t about being nice. It’s the tactical first
step in building a massively-scaled voter contact program that will help
form a national consensus that what’s happening in Minnesota and elsewhere
is wrong—and that we’re never, ever going to allow ourselves to get to
this place of authoritarian overreach again.
And here’s the part that gives me real hope. Even though everything online
seems extremely polarized, what we’re hearing talking to people in-person
tells a different story. The conversations we’re having right now are
about beginning to rebuild a shared sense of what is and isn’t acceptable
in this country. That’s how trust is rebuilt. And over time, that’s how
the balance of power shifts.
Last weekend at these two canvasses, Swing Left volunteers knocked over
250 doors. Nearly two-thirds of voters who answered their doors had
substantive conversations with Ground Truth volunteers, many lasting
several minutes.
People are eager to talk. The most common topic raised was a lack of trust
in government and political leadership—which came up in more than half of
all conversations.
We also continued to identify new potential persuadable voters (meaning
they were previously tagged in the voter file campaigns use as unlikely to
vote for Democrats), who would not have been contacted through traditional
canvassing.
This is ongoing, consistent work that needs to be happening now and
continue through Election Day—and beyond. [ [link removed] ]If you’d like to join this
important effort, make sure to fill out the Ground Truth interest form
here. It will guide you to the best volunteer opportunities for you, based
on where you are and what you like to do.
[ [link removed] ]Get Involved Now
It can be hard to knock on doors, call strangers, and empathize with
people who have opinions so different from your own—but this community is
doing it anyway, and that work matters. We’ve even heard from folks at the
phone bank that they want to call more Republicans, not avoid them.
When I hear feedback from those participating in Ground Truth, I’m
reminded why this work feels different. One volunteer named Phyllis told
us that:
“This is the most rewarding canvassing I have done. It is easy to engage
folks in conversation with an open ended question and not an ask.”
And another volunteer, Myra, said that:
“Going door to door with the intention of listening to all people,
regardless of their point of view, feels like true democracy. Listening to
people’s concerns and experiences with an open heart and mind is what we
need in our country right now. I’m in!!”
Whether you canvass in-person, join a virtual phone bank, or make a
grassroots donation to make all of this work possible, you are doing what
it takes to help Democrats win and hold power. None of this happens
without you.
Together, we can change the balance of power in Washington and put our
country on a brighter path forward.
Zack Malitz
Managing Director, Swing Left
You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]
