While Jon Ossoff’s loss will certainly disappoint Democrats who thought they did everything they possibly could to flip a Congressional seat, his campaign proves that grassroots organizing can move the needle in American politics in dramatic and unexpected ways. Ossoff’s record- breaking fundraising numbers and volunteer base brought an otherwise obscure special election to a national audience and resulted in voter turnout higher than midterm levels.
Now more than ever, we need to bring that energy back home to places like Michigan. With the attention of many Democrats focused on Georgia’s 6th congressional district over the past few months, Republicans in state legislatures around the country have prioritized corporate welfare at the expense of working families, raided teachers’ retirements, and proposed legislation that threatens immigrant communities and erodes public safety.
With just a fraction of the resources and volunteer participation that Ossoff’s campaign had, Democrats can win back control of state legislatures like the Michigan House of Representatives.
I know this because despite Donald Trump winning my state house district by 14 points in 2016, voters also chose me—a 25-year-old teacher—to represent them in Lansing. Our campaign exceeded Secretary Clinton’s vote total by an average of 7% across the district in what turned out to be the most competitive state house race in Michigan last year. And we did it with a strong grassroots campaign operating on less than 1/100th of the money raised by Ossoff’s campaign.
Our team did the hard work of knocking on more than 60,000 doors and growing a volunteer base of every age, background, and presidential primary preference. We met voters wherever they were, whatever their party affiliation, even when that meant stepping outside of our comfort zone. Our work shows that a focused and energized group of volunteers can not only bring many Republican state house districts into play across Michigan, but we can win them—even in unfavorable circumstances.
This model—focused on grassroots organizing and cultivating an energized base and campaign organization—can and should be used by Democrats in down ballot races across the country. We should seek out new voices, rally around shared values that transcend partisanship, and focus our efforts on organizing to flip state legislatures that too often act against working families’ priorities.
Whether you are new to political campaigns or a multi-cycle campaign veteran, your time, support and action can be the difference between victory and defeat. Together, we can make a difference in the direction of our county, build a better health care system, and create a more civil and responsible government of, for, and by the people.
-- Darrin Camilleri is a state representative from Michigan’s 23rd District representing the communities of Brownstown Township, Huron Township, Trenton, Grosse Ile Township, Woodhaven, and Gibraltar.