More than 100 students and Ann Arbor community members gathered outside ONE Campaign’s Ann Arbor field office late Friday morning for a regional door-to-door volunteer canvassing kickoff event held in partnership with Broadway for Harris and Knock for Democracy.
The kickoff drew numerous Democratic Michigan state legislators, including state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and state Rep. Jason Morgan, as well as Kimberly Thomas, candidate for Michigan Supreme Court, and Glynda Wilks, candidate for Ann Arbor Board of Education. Several celebrities attended; among them were Mandy Moore, an Emmy-nominated actress and singer, stand-up comedian Alex Edelman and Benj Pasek, a composer, lyricist and School of Music, Theatre & Dance alum.
Alex Kramer, founder and executive director of Knock for Democracy, opened the event by thanking the volunteers in attendance and offering guidance for first-time canvassers. Kramer referenced the proven impact of face-to-face interaction on political mobilization.
“It is our job today to show up and listen in an engaged way to people’s concerns, meet them where they are and invite them into the political process, no matter how disenchanted or disillusioned or frustrated,” Kramer said. “When we do that, when we show up at doors with curiosity and with openness, we not only win Democratic votes, we not only build Democratic majorities, but little by little, one conversation at a time, we are repairing our democracy.”
Kramer, who has been a television actor for over a decade, launched Knock for Democracy in response to feeling a sense of powerlessness following Trump’s election in 2016, hoping to create a constructive avenue for young people to get involved in the political process. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Kramer expanded on the positive environment he hopes to create.
“People know what sort of experience they can expect at a Knock for Democracy event,” Kramer said. “It’s fun. It’s always going to be engaging. It’s always going to be community-driven. The political discourse in our country at this point is so fraught, and there are so few places where you can go and connect and have fun that center conversations with people from all walks of life with non-judgment and empathy.”
LSA senior Adam Lacasse, long-time canvasser and president of the College Democrats at the University of Michigan, told The Daily about his approach to canvassing, highlighting listening and openness.
“When people see that you are coming to them because you value their voice, that’s special for them,” Lacasse said. “When I approach people on the doors, it’s not so much like ‘I’m coming here because I want your votes,’ but ‘I’m coming here because I want to listen to you, I want to hear where you’re coming from and we can see if we can align stuff with the candidate I am knocking for.’ Having conversations like that, you can actually hit places and make an impact in their lives.”’
Edelman, who serves on the Broadway for Harris organizing committee, spoke at the event about how canvassing efforts can be beneficial to the canvassers themselves.
“By going out there you are adding a layer to your own textured world view,” Edelman said. “Conversations that you have with people who don’t agree with you will be ones that may sharpen your own opinions. They may also challenge a preconceived notion, and that understanding will make you a better person.”
As part of their canvassing training, volunteers were instructed to use the MiniVAN app to document door-to-door interactions, sharing their personal reasons for supporting the Harris-Walz ticket. After discussing the presidential ticket, canvassers could address candidates further down the ballot, including those for state congressional and Supreme Court positions. Organizers told canvassers to assist Democratic supporters in creating a specific voting plan.
Thomas, who was nominated for the state Supreme Court by the Michigan Democratic Party, reminded attendees that the Michigan Supreme Court is the state’s highest judicial authority, responsible for hearing appeals and interpreting state law. However, voters might not know who to support because candidates for the court appear on the nonpartisan section of the ballot, according to Thomas.
“There are no letter clues by our names,” Thomas said. “People just have to know what our experience and background is and vote based on that. So the work that you’re doing today is more critical than I can tell you.”
Oakland County resident Samantha Loree expressed her worries about her future, particularly regarding her student loans, in an interview with The Daily. Addressing student debt is central to Harris’ campaign. Loree decided to volunteer because she does not want a repeat of the Trump administration.
“I just remember in 2016 waking up like the next day and just feeling so depressed, crying with my husband and not knowing what to do,” Loree said. “I don’t want to do that ever again. I’ve never volunteered before with the campaign, but I just felt like I had to do something this year.”
Following the kickoff, volunteers split into groups to canvass in Washtenaw, Jackson and Lenawee counties, some traveling as far as Adrian. By the end of the day, the group reached more than 3,000 houses, according to Kramer.
Moore discussed her motivations for coming to Ann Arbor and supporting the Harris-Walz ticket in an interview with The Daily.
“This is the most consequential election of our lifetime,” Moore said. “There’s so much at stake for everyone — pick an issue across the board. I just think leading with empathy and compassion, as I think this side of the ticket does, is really the only way forward because I don’t want to go back.”
Daily Staff Reporter Edith Pendell can be reached at ependell@umich.edu.
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