Kerry Washington and Adam Brody Join 200+ Volunteers From Black, Jewish, Muslim, LGBTQ+, and Labor Communities to Knock Doors for Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit With Swing Left’s Ground Truth
Swing Left and broad coalition led by Black organizations unite grassroots volunteers for major Detroit canvass to hold persuasion and mobilization conversations in majority Black communities
DETROIT, MI — Ahead of former President Barack Obama’s rally in Detroit on Saturday, Kerry Washington and Adam Brody joined more than 200 volunteers who knocked doors across the city as part of Ground Truth, Swing Left’s new deep canvassing program, focused on having longer, more meaningful conversations with voters. The major get-out-the-vote canvass, co-hosted by Swing Left and a coalition led by Black organizations, supported Democratic candidate for Senate Abdul El-Sayed.
Ground Truth canvassers in Detroit, MI.
Canvass attendees with Kerry Washington (center).
Taylor Hale (left) and Adam Brody (right) before canvassing in Detroit, MI.
The mobilization brought together over 16 organizations spanning Black-led organizing groups, labor unions, reproductive rights advocates, immigrant rights organizations, LGBTQ+ groups, Jewish and Muslim leaders, and grassroots Democratic organizations united in a trust-building approach to reaching out to voters who have often been treated transactionally. The coalition reflects a shared belief that progress doesn't require agreement on every issue, but it does require showing up, listening to one another, finding common ground, and building the voter trust needed to win. And it believes that a Democratic majority in the Senate will put a necessary check on Trump’s destructive policies towards the American people and work to build power that can advance progress.
The volunteers canvassed as part of Ground Truth, which moves beyond traditional voter outreach by prioritizing listening, understanding voters’ concerns, and building meaningful connections. Volunteers engaged voters who were uncertain about whether to vote or whom to support, beginning conversations by asking about their experiences, concerns, and the issues shaping their decisions. The approach is designed to combine persuasion and mobilization in a single conversation while building stronger relationships between grassroots organizers, Democratic candidates and elected officials, and the communities they serve.
Yasmin Radjy, Executive Director of Swing Left, said “The energy in Detroit was electric. We brought together 200 people from an incredibly diverse coalition all on ‘Team Win’, united by a commitment that a Democratic Senate majority is essential to making progress on the issues we all care about. For too long, many campaigns across the country have treated voters, particularly Black voters, transactionally and taken them for granted without taking the time to listen. When we knock on doors, people are genuinely surprised that someone wants to hear about what matters most to them. These conversations last 10, 15, even 20 minutes because people are hungry to be heard and hungry for change. We're meeting voters where they are and rebuilding trust brick by brick.”
Kerry Washington said, "People feel like their voice doesn’t matter because they don’t feel heard. So try to hear people today. Because the truth is, when we ask, 'What’s on your mind? What do you care about the most?', we can be confident that everybody up and down the ticket is going to offer somebody a solution that speaks to what they care about. So you can confidently go into those conversations listening, and tell people how we can offer solutions... Whatever it is that you can do today to push yourself, and encourage the people around you to push themselves, this is the moment for that. There’s not going to be a do-over on this election."
Adam Brody said, “So much of politics is on my phone, scrolling. It’s volatile, it’s argumentative, it feels so tense. And then to get in a room like this, with people who share a positive vision for the future, and feel like we’re all on the same team, rowing in the same direction—that feels so, so great. You all are heroes. Knocking on doors takes a lot of nerve, and I respect the hell out of you. I'm so honored to be amongst you all.”
Brody added, “My family does hail from here, but truthfully, that’s not why I’m here. I woke up in November 2016 in a world that not only I didn’t want to live in, but that would in due time be uninhabitable for everyone. It’s a shame that things have taken such a dark turn, but I do think it creates an amazing opportunity for real change—the massive change we need for all of us to thrive. Morality, science, and honor go together really well. We don’t have to choose. We can have all of them in leadership.”
Ground Truth is an innovative, volunteer-powered program built on a simple premise: Democrats cannot win lasting power without first rebuilding trust with voters, and that requires a wholesale reimagining of how we do voter contact, starting with listening. The program responds to a widening trust gap with voters, particularly in communities that campaigns have historically overlooked because they fall outside traditional targeting models. In the final stretch of the 2026 election, Ground Truth brings persuasion and mobilization together through longer, two-way conversations with voters about the issues affecting their lives, including those who may be uncertain about whether to vote or whom to support. Using new technology, volunteers capture insights from those conversations to help campaigns and state parties better understand voter concerns and shape their outreach around what communities are actually experiencing.
Radjy added: “In 2016, Michigan was decided by just over ten thousand votes—about 2 votes per precinct. No single group can carry it alone. Winning Michigan requires a wide range of volunteers and organizations having real, empathetic nontransactional conversations with voters. This coalition isn’t just about winning in 2026. In 2028, the presidency runs through states like Michigan. Democrats need to spend the next two years rebuilding trust by listening. That work has to start in 2027, not two months before the next election.”
The event came amid a surge in grassroots organizing following the recent No Kings mobilizations. The preceding week was Swing Left’s biggest week of the year for door-knocking, with an 80% increase over the previous week.
Participating organizations included Swing Left, Swing Left Detroit, Black Voters Matter, Reproductive Freedom for All Michigan, National Congress of Black Women, Michigan United, Seed the Vote, Michigan Democratic Party LGBTQ+ Allies Caucus, Michigan Democrats Grassroots Caucus, Black Women for Abdul, African American Leadership Institute, Northwest Democratic Club, United Precinct Delegates, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, United Auto Workers, and United Brotherhood of Carpenters.
###
