Memorial Day

Hi DemCast,

On Memorial Day, we remember those who have died for our country, we traditionally gather at family barbecues, and we might jump into a chilly lake or pool for the first splash of the season. Now, though, we are separated by face masks and new social norms while mourning 100,000 people who have succumbed to Covid-19.

We share the frustration that our country could have been prepared to battle this disease. Let’s be guided by both science and the moral imperative to take care of our brothers and sisters, no matter their skin color, citizenship status, political beliefs, or economic standing. Our heroes must include the scientists focused on finding a vaccine so that we can drop our masks, hug our friends, and rejoin our communities face-to-face. On this Memorial Day, let’s remember those who sacrificed for us while we continue the work of defending democracy and redirecting our country.

We need your help. Read on for details…

Canvassing from Home

Training with SF Playwright and Performer Charlie Varon

Charlie Varon–award-winning playwright/performer and co-producer of the Trump-taunting “Great American Shit Show”–will teach us how to engage with a perfect stranger…on the phone! Using techniques that help actors connect with audiences, Charlie will share several effective engagement skills. Right after the 30-minute class, put your enhanced phone banking skills to work. We’ll be calling some of Arizona’s most strategic legislative districts (LDs), those crucial to ensuring the state legislature turns blue!

Agenda of the two training sessions (same content each day):

5:00 – 5:30pm: Training with Charlie Varon
5:30 – 7:00pm: Phone banking into strategic Arizona legislative districts (LDs)
On Wednesday, you will also have an option to meet the candidates via Zoom before making calls!

RSVP: Wednesday, 5/27, 5:00pm
(calling LD-17 in Greater Pheonix)

RSVP: Thursday, 5/28, 5:00pm
(calling LD-6 in/near Flagstaff)

Meet Two Women Key to Flipping Arizona!

Coral Evans (LD-6) and Jennifer Pawlik (LD-17)

Wednesday, 5/27 at 6:00pm

By electing these amazing Democratic women in Legislative Districts 6 and 17, we help ensure Democrats take back the Arizona state legislature and stop Republicans’ unfair gerrymandering (not to mention halting their harmful state policies on guns, education, the environment, and more). Arizona has one of the most flippable state legislatures in the country; we only need to flip 3 state senate seats and 2 state house seats.

Coral Evans is the first African-American Mayor of Flagstaff, currently serving in her second term after eight years on the city council.

Jennifer Pawlik won her suburban Phoenix state house seat in 2018 by only 354 votes. As Arizona ranks nearly last in most education indicators, we must help this decades-long teacher defend her seat!

Hear from the candidates and learn how you can help them turn this crucial Super State blue.

RSVP: Wednesday, 5/27 at 6:00pm

JOIN THE BIG SEND

Vote Forward, Swing Left, and several other progressive organizations hope to mail 10 MILLION GOTV letters to get infrequent Democratic voters in the 12 Super States to the polls in November. If we work diligently for the next 5 months, we’ll meet this goal! Bonus: Vote Forward just added letters for several more states! Read on to learn how you can participate in the BIG SEND from home, on your own or in a group. Why not aim for 20 letters a week to help us reach the TEN MILLION letter goal?

Attend a Letter Party From Home

Chat with other volunteers as you write together during an upcoming Zoom letter party! See below for ways to secure your letters before the party starts. Click on dates to RSVP.

Swing Left Peninsula Zoom letter parties:

Fri, May 29th, 6:30 – 8:30pm with Elaine (she’s in San Mateo, but join from anywhere!)
Sat, May 30th, 2:00 – 4:00pm with Sue and Melissa (they’re in Palo Alto, but join from anywhere!)
Sat, Jun 6th, 2:00 – 4:00pm, with Sue and Melissa
Sat, Jun 13th, 2:00 – 4:00pm, with Sue and Melissa
Sat, Jun 20th, 2:00 – 4:00pm, with Sue and Melissa

Swing Left National Zoom letter parties:

Tue, May 26th, 4:00 – 6:00pm: Special focus on FLORIDA letters and strategy
Thu, May 28th, 3:00 – 5:00pm: Special focus on MICHIGAN letters and strategy
Sat, May 30th, 2:00 – 4:00pm: Special focus on IOWA letters and strategy

Please see our website for an up-to-date list of virtual letter parties.

Host a virtual letter party!

Join one of the parties above to see how it works, then perhaps host your own!

Use Swing Left’s Virtual Letter Party Host Kit
Attend one of the weekly “How To Host on Zoom” trainings
If you’d like, we can list your party in our next newsletter. Email us!

Get Your Letters Three Ways!

Print Them, Pick Them Up, Or Get Them Delivered!

We encourage you to print at home using these instructions (you simply download a PDF file of 20 letters and print it). If that doesn’t work for you, pick letters up or get them delivered. You can hold off on stamps, if necessary, because we’re not the mailing GOTV letters until October. We’re now prioritizing Florida and Texas letters.

Help! If you’d like to offer letter pick up or delivery services, we could especially use help if you live in a Peninsula city not already listed below. Please contact us!

Letter packet pickups: Click on the person’s name to make contact for a “porch” pick up near you:

Mountain View: Contact Mariya
San Carlos: Contact Laura
Hillsborough: Contact Cheryl and Michelle
San Mateo Highlands: Contact Elaine
Woodside (just off Skyline): Contact Betsy

Letter delivery:

Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Stanford: Contact Kirstin (for 100 letters or more)
Los Altos: Contact Barbara
Redwood City, San Carlos: Contact Laura
Pacifica: Contact Lorrie

Please see our website for an up-to-date list of all pick up and delivery options.

Phone from Home

ARIZONA: Phone for Democrats up and down the ballot

Swing Left is partnering with Mission for Arizona, the Arizona Democratic Party’s Coordinated Campaign to elect Mark Kelly and down-ballot Democrats. “Coordinated” means the campaigns for the likely-to-flip Senate seat and the likely-to-flip state legislature are working together to maximize efficacy and efficiency.

Arizona Training for out-of-state phone bankers (every Wednesday, 2:00 – 3:00pm): RSVP here

Arizona Phone Banks on Specific Dates: (click on dates to rsvp)

Wed, May 27th, 5:00 – 7:00pm: Swing Left Peninsula with Performer Charlie Varon (into LD-17)
Thur, May 28th, 5:00 – 7:00pm: Swing Left Peninsula with Performer Charlie Varon (into LD-6)
Sat/Sun, May 30th/31st (three time slots each day): AZ Dems need your help during their first Statewide Weekend of Action Phone Bank for Mark Kelly and state legislature candidates
Sat, Jun 6th, 1:00 – 4:00pm: With Swing Left San Francisco (into LD-6)

Ongoing Arizona Phone Banks:

AZ VOTE BY MAIL persuasion! (every day, several times a day): RSVP here.
AZ SPANISH-language phone banks (every Thursday): RSVP here
AZ Flip the State Legislature! Call strategic “flip” districts (every day through 5/31, anytime from 10:00am – 8:00pm). RSVP here.
For a full list of Mission for Arizona phone banks and even some TEXT banks, see this link.

Additional Phone Banks:

Pennsylvania (May 28th – June 2nd; many 1 hr shifts): GOTV for the June 2nd primary and build comfort with vote-by-mail. RSVP here.
Michigan (Mondays @ 11:00am): Encourage Michigan voters to join the Permanent Absentee Voter List. RSVP here.
Maine (Wednesdays @ 4:00pm & Saturdays @ 12:00pm): Twice-weekly training sessions on encouraging Mainers to vote Susan Collins out of office! RSVP here
TJ Cox in CA-21 (Tuesdays or Thursdays, 5:00 – 8:00pm): TJ Cox’s race is too close for comfort. RSVP here.
Josh Harder in CA-10 (Mondays to Thursdays at 6:00 pm): Trainings four nights a week. RSVP here.

Remote Phone Bank Host Kit

Swing Left can help you lead virtual phone banks. Click to see: Remote Phone Bank Host Kit and Guide.

Listen from Home

How We Win – Swing Left’s Podcast

While you are doing the work of Democracy from home, please listen to Swing Left’s Podcast – it will help you feel connected and motivated!

Episode 38 of How We Win introduces Blueprint, Swing Left’s targeted force-Republicans-into-retirement fund. Your donations to Blueprint will be directed to the best uses of those funds at each stage of the election cycle for critical organizational efforts and races at the state and federal levels, saving you the struggle of deciding how to contribute money most effectively. This episode features Catherine Vaughan, Flippable Founder and Swing Left’s chief strategist.

Donate from Home to TRIPLE FLIP Arizona

Support Swing Left Peninsula’s online fundraiser to “triple flip” Arizona. Donations will be split among U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kelly and strategic state legislature races (the ones that will ensure the state legislature flips).

Donate to Triple Flip Arizona!

Partner Organization Events

Local Event Calendar and Texting Help!

Our local DVC (Democratic Volunteer Center) maintains a fantastic calendar of events with phone banks, trainings, town halls, and more. Also, learn how to start TEXTING with the DVC’s Getting Started Guide, or get texting help and sign up for a weekly summary of current texting campaigns on several platforms at texting@demvolctr.org.

@Home Political Salon Series:

Senate Candidates Theresa Greenfield (IA) and Barbara Bollier (KS)

Wed, May 27th, 6:00 – 7:00pm

Join us for a Mid-West ZoomFest to hear from these amazing women who are increasingly key to flipping the Senate in November. They will be in conversation with Emily Cain of Emily’s List. (Minimum donation of $250). RSVP and donate here

Re-Elect TJ Cox, CA-21

Sat, May 30, 4:00 – 5:00 pm

The DVC hosts TJ and special guest Congressman Eric Swalwell on Zoom. (Minimum donation of $100). RSVP and donate here

Finally…

Follow us on Twitter (@SwingLeftPen) or join our Facebook group for updates on our latest events, actions and swing district news.

Questions? Email us:

Voter contact: votercontact@swingleftpeninsula.org
Letter Parties: letterwritingparties@swingleftpeninsula.org
Fundraising: fundraising@swingleftpeninsula.org
CA-10 Outreach: ca10@swingleftpeninsula.org
CA-21 Outreach: ca21@swingleftpeninsula.org
Arizona Trips: flip_arizona@swingleftpeninsula.org

Join our email list: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/slp_subscribe

If all else fails: info@swingleftpeninsula.org

As always, thanks for your support!

Barb Berry, Judith Bolker, Linda Brummer, Scott Carlson, Michelle Chang, Carole Flores, Anne Frahn, Mary Gill, Colin Gottlieb, Laura Gottsman, Barbara Kyser, Bruce Knoth, Victoria Maxson, Kirstin Sego, Karen Spiro, Deb Strichartz and Mary Takahashi.