A Grassroots Coordinator Can Help Win Elections

Why candidates need them; where to find them

By Susan D. Wagner, August 2025

When the 2026 midterms get underway, candidates will reach out to prospective voters. The task is daunting. The average U.S. House district includes roughly 760,000 people in more than 300,000 households. You would think that every candidate would want to reach those households with multiple touches–door knocking, postcards, phone calls, billboard messages, literature. Few, however, take the smart step towards such outreach—hiring a Grassroots Coordinator.

When Tom Suozzi ran to win the seat from which George Santos was expelled, he listened to advice from longtime friends in the grassroots community who recommended he hire a Grassroots Coordinator to work with both in-and out-of-state groups. After winning handily, he boasted that his campaign volunteers made “two million phone calls, hundreds of thousands of postcards, hundreds of thousands of texts, 150,000 door knocks …” The grassroots, Suozzi said, “were my stealth weapon.”

Susan Wagner with members of the Grassroots group, Markers for Democracy, preparing for a day of door-knocking for Tom Suozzi

So Who Are the Grassroots?

Volunteers, whether they hail from in- or out-of-state, have historically been regarded as a mixed bag. Campaign professionals know they need volunteers, but keep them at a distance. The reasons vary, but the fears are outdated.

Since the 2016 election, a new cadre of volunteers has emerged. As most Grassroots Connector readers know, today’s volunteers come with decades of professional experience, are highly skilled, and are determined to strengthen democracy. Many call themselves “grassroots volunteer activists.” They are not from special interest groups (motivated by a single issue, like gun control or the environment). Nor are they uniformly progressive. While they often collaborate on protests and letter writing campaigns, grassroots groups differ from progressive/constituency groups in funding, staffing, and mission.

The grassroots groups formed since 2016 are typically bound by friendship and a strong sense of community rather than a formal structure with legal status. Active year round, they know how their community works and have friends in other such groups. If you want to reach voters in a particular community, these grassroots groups are poised to help. No learning curve.

How a Grassroots Coordinator Can Help Win Elections

The ideal Grassroots Coordinator is someone chosen from the local grassroots community who has been active in past campaigns and who joins the candidate’s team early in the campaign cycle. Entering the campaign with existing knowledge of the community, the coordinator becomes an integral part of the strategy the campaign adopts from the start. They have a keen sense of what is and is not possible, thus avoiding wasted time and funds.

Acting as a liaison: In any campaign, the Grassroots Coordinator will quickly connect with the existing grassroots community. This frees the campaign staff to work with groups rather than recruiting and assembling individuals. As a key member of the campaign, the Grassroots Coordinator will attend official meetings, then convey strategy and priorities to grassroots group leaders. On the most basic level, the coordinator will interface with the campaign and the existing grassroots structure—local, statewide, or national. By working together rather than independently, grassroots groups will increase the campaign’s engagement with hard-to-reach voters. The coordinator keeps an eye on the work, sensibly assigning tasks to local volunteers or those from out of state.

Leveraging Talents and Insights: Getting the attention and interest of voters is a never-ending struggle. The Grassroots Coordinator can tap into the creativity of the grassroots, bringing their ideas and know-how into the campaign. For example, for his Special Election, Tom Suozzi’s grassroots volunteers suggested and then working with the Coordinator, created a "Sunday's For Suozzi " Zoom. Each Sunday, volunteers wrote postcards, heard from Suozzi himself, and donated to his campaign. Tom was often blown away by how many people from across the country were writing postcards for him on a Sunday afternoon.

Moreover, campaigns are often unfamiliar with groups that go beyond the usual networks. The Grassroots Coordinator can prioritize outreach to groups that are often overlooked or sidelined.

Boosting Volunteer Morale: Volunteers burn out when they feel ignored or underappreciated (check out my 7/29/2025 article “The Indefatigable are Fatigued” for further info). But a Grassroots Coordinator in a high ranking position shows that activist voices are heard and respected. This respect goes a long way to making volunteers feel like they matter, that they are not merely an ATM machine or free labor. They actually count. Informed and connected, they stay inspired. Supported and recognized, some volunteers become long-term movement builders.

Grassroots volunteers show up!

Turning Energy Into Impact: Momentum is vital to all campaigns. A Grassroots Coordinator can ensure that during critical times, when a campaign needs to turn on a dime, networks can be mobilized quickly. The Grassroots Coordinator has a sense of how to manage the troops, directing energy where it matters. Too many opportunities are lost due to lack of coordination. We grassroots activists often hear from campaign staff: “We don't have the bandwidth to do that.” Yet the talent and people power are available (for free) when you hire someone to mobilize the incredible energy of these activists.

Showing it is possible for a campaign and grassroots groups to work together productively, Susan Wagner poses with Nate Munson, the Grassroots Coordinator for Tom Suozzi’s winning campaign for Congress.

Making It Happen

When you consider all the benefits of a Grassroots Coordinator, it makes you wonder why every campaign doesn’t have one. Too expensive? We all know there is plenty of money floating around the DNC, DCCC, and Super PACs. Moreover, there is a good chance that a seasoned grassroots activist would work pro bono. The excuse of “we don't have the funding” is no longer acceptable.

Perhaps consultants within the Political Industrial Complex convince candidates not to hire Grassroots Coordinators in order to guard their own power, fearing that a free, motivated, and skilled workforce might compromise their authority. But with the midterms looming, it’s time for candidates to welcome all those who can assist their campaign.

Elections come and go, but the grassroots community has shown up year after year, election after election. A strong grassroots program, led by someone with the skills and commitment to nurture it, will create infrastructure and relationships that will last well beyond the 2026 midterms.

Susan D. Wagner is co-founder of Markers for Democracy. She was an adviser to the Suozzi Campaign and previously helped Concerned Citizens of NY 03 to oust Congressman George Santos.

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