Learnings from our Local Listeners Calls
Since January 2026, DNC volunteers have been calling voters in target congressional districts to learn what issues voters care about.
In January, the DNC Organizing Team launched Local Listeners, a first-of-its-kind training and voter contact program that centers listening-first conversations to connect with voters. There was a seven-week bootcamp to train volunteers to become organizers in their communities alongside a calls program to reactivate voters in target congressional districts. Too many people feel like politics only talks at them. The goal of these calls is to listen, reflect, and understand how voters are feeling right now.
After three months of Local Listeners calls, here’s what we’ve heard:
Americans are suffering under the weight of rising costs for essentials and feel the economy no longer rewards hard work. We’ve talked to retired seniors who are on the verge of losing their homes, families working up to seven jobs to make ends meet, and people kicked off their health insurance.
Voters across the country are also fearful over the erosion of democratic checks and balances and the actions of federal agents in their communities. They’re also anxious and angry about military conflicts and foreign policy decisions like the war in Iran, leading to rising inflation and prices.
“When you think about the country right now, do you feel like things are headed in the right direction or the wrong direction?”
People we’ve talked to overwhelmingly feel that things are headed in the wrong direction right now.
“Everything has been frustrating, I spend $350 on groceries, they’ve gone up... I feel like I’m fortunate because I have income coming in, so I’m not as affected as other people.” – Voter from North Carolina
“No leadership, they’re turning people against each other, my heart is broken... We need people with integrity running the government.” – Voter from Michigan
“I work in the biological sciences, and it’s so hard to watch [what] RFK and White House are doing with the sciences. I grew up in a border town and was around many Mexican people, and it’s just horrendous how they’re treating immigrants.” – Voter from Arizona
“What do you wish politicians knew about you and your community?”
“Richest country in the world and we can’t educate our children.” – Voter from Arizona
“My neighbors have the same concerns I have. We want to be left alone by ICE and other threats.” – Voter from Michigan
“Immigrants exemplify the American dream.” – Voter from California
“Need to focus on making it possible for folks to afford the basics of a life.” – Voter from California
“Their [politician’s] job is to represent the real people, their constituents, and not the lobbyists and corporations. – Voter from Florida
“We want action from our politicians — they gotta do something — if not who’s going to hold people accountable?” – Voter from Florida
All of the feedback and data we collect from these calls is read by our team every week and shared with DNC leadership and other Democratic partners to better inform our programs.
Make Listening-First Calls to Voters
Join our volunteer team to make these listening-first calls! Our goal isn’t to persuade — it’s to deeply understand how voters across the country are truly feeling. These conversations are vital, and your outreach is the key to making a real impact!
We’ll start each phone bank with a clear overview of who we’re reaching out to, followed by a simple, step-by-step training on our calling platform for all new volunteers. Then, it’s time to dive into the calls and make those critical connections with voters. You can join us on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
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Thanks for fighting with us! Together, we can make a difference.
In solidarity,
Maanasi and Eva
DNC Regional Distributed Organizers
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That’s a great idea and I hope the DNC listens. Big issues for us: healthcare for all, take money out of politics, stop supporting Israel who has universal healthcare, childcare and higher education while we go without.
Somehow I doubt you didn't hear anything about stopping support for Israel and it's ongoing genocide in Gaza, ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and Lebanon, war crimes everywhere that we are joining them in, especially in Iran. They are behind much of our current foreign policy problems.
We need progressive candidates with strong moral clarity who can demonstrate that they are willing to fight for the working class and the vulnerable. Gavin Newsom doesn't have it, Kamala Harris failed to show hers. If we can't get people who can drum up more class solidarity, the world is going to be really dire with the coming economic and climate catastrophes.