Political Campaigns are Modernizing - The Way we Canvass for them Should be Too

Article by Liliana Zavin, TPT Staff Writer

Over the last few months, I have become increasingly invested in the contentious Maryland Senate race. There are two main Democrats running: wealthy, self-funded Democratic candidate David Trone and public-funded former county executive Angela Alsobrooks, who would, if elected, become the 3rd elected black female Senator in US history. While Trone has focused on sending floods of mail-out campaign ads and gaining endorsements from political figures across the state and country, Angela Alsobrooks’ campaign has focused on more traditional methods of canvassing like door-knocking and phone-banking to gain support. They are both competing against popular Maryland Republican and former governor, Larry Hogan, who served two terms and was elected in a predominately blue-state, showing his bipartisan support from both democrats and republicans. As the primary approaches, Trone and Alsobrooks have been pinned up against one another to determine who has the chance to go against Hogan in the fall. And as both campaigns have worked on building a large online presence and stand for similar principles, their funding and methods of canvassing have set them apart. Having volunteered on the Alsobrooks campaign, I fear that her methods of traditional canvassing will lead to her campaign’s downfall.

Door-knocking is the first outdated method that Angela Alsobrooks’ campaign has focused on. Prior to this election, I had never door-knocked for a candidate, preferring the less-personal and more comfortable phone-banking, which I could do virtually from home for candidates anywhere in the country. Having hope in the power of grassroots organizing, my mom and I decided to attempt door-knocking for the Alsobrooks campaign. The campaign uses an app that directs door-knockers to the homes of Democratic voters, but, as we realized quickly, it was more annoying to use than helpful. As we approached each house, the security cameras and Ring doorbells would warn the homeowner inside that someone was there, sometimes telling us as we stood on their porch that we were being watched. With the enhanced security technology that most homes now have, people are far more unlikely to open their door to strangers soliciting for a political campaign. It feels like a violation of privacy to be standing on their porch, ready to hand them political flyers and to advertise a candidate that you do not know quite enough about. For most of the houses, we ended up just leaving the flyers, which the campaign likely did not possess the funds to send out through the postal service. We also made automatic assumptions about each home and the people within, avoiding knocking when it seemed like no one was home or the house looked less cared for. These assumptions, along with the assumptions of the homeowners watching us from inside, are what likely leads door-to-door canvassing to be a means of campaigning no longer effective.

So what is the alternative to door-knocking? Though I prefer to phone-bank, I would also argue that it is no more effective a means of campaigning than door-knocking. The key to both is just to get the candidate’s name out there, to inform those who may not know of them about their platform. If the campaign possesses the funds, sending mail flyers to as many people as possible is an effective way to simply inform the public about the candidate. On these flyers, information about how to get involved in the campaign can also be conveyed, hopefully encouraging those interested to become a volunteer or to advocate for the candidate in their community.

Angela Alsobrooks’ campaign has also used signage around Maryland to reach voters who may not otherwise know about her. However, unless these locations are strategically chosen, they will not inform the majority of a population, likely only those already curious about the candidate or election. The Alsobrooks campaign did not use signage effectively. One example that conveys this was the Alsobrooks’ campaign’s placing of signs on road medians in Baltimore city, which led to calls from the police. Driving through Baltimore, it is easy to see the limited efficacy of signs, as they are only present in certain neighborhoods, often not those that could use them most. For David Trone, he possesses the campaign finances and community connections to spread his name throughout the state, both through signage and his involvement in the various communities. He is well-known across Maryland and his community involvement throughout his career as Maryland Representative has led to widespread support. Angela Alsobrooks lacks the financial sway and community investment to encourage those in communities most in need of information to recognize and support her campaign.

So what could a grassroots campaign that lacks large financial support and community connections do to promote the candidate? First, building community connections in areas that are often ignored by political campaigns. In many parts of Baltimore, Maryland’s largest city, there are communities in need of investment that is not given. Through recognizing these needs and asserting that, on a national scale, she would advocate for these neighborhoods and their needs, Angela could distinguish herself from other, less determined political candidates. She needs to become involved in community events, building relationships with her constituents and demonstrating her commitment to advocacy on a national level. Social media is another crucial tool for campaigning in the modern world. Though Alsobrooks has profiles on all the major platforms, with curated posts that convey her goals and events, she lacks the spread of her candidacy on social media. She needs to, either by increasing following or appearing on others’ pages, get featured on political reels and shared with college students and other populations actively involved on social media. Finally, the Alsobrooks campaign needs to recognize the history that Angela would be creating by winning election to the Senate. As the first Black female Senator in Maryland history, she would be paving a new path for black women in the state, showing the political power that they can and should have. By trying to avoid this fact, the campaign is missing a key piece of why Angela Alsobrooks’ election would be so momentous for Maryland, and is limiting the support that she would likely have from black women across the state.