Ronni ButtsThe second highest ranking U.S. House Democrat joined a colleague from Wake County on Monday in downtown Raleigh to thank phone bank volunteers for the Harris-Walz campaign.
Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the House minority whip, and Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), who represents most of Wake County, were passionate in encouraging the volunteers.
“We are most grateful to all of you. The volunteers are here because this is how we win the future of this country. This is how we keep democracy,” Clark told around 25 volunteers who filled a small office space to call North Carolinians on behalf of the Harris-Walz campaign.
“Phone banking is going to make the difference in this campaign, as is canvassing door to door,” Ross said later in an interview with the Campus Echo.
Clark and Ross both stressed the importance of direct contact with community members during this election season. Clark emphasized that “people are hungry for” that kind of personal contact.
“Having that direct contact with somebody, being able to get that information, makes all the difference,” Ross said. “Anything that I can do to encourage more people to make direct contact with voters on behalf of soon to be President Harris, I am here to do.”
“I’ve got two daughters,” phone bank volunteer Todd Lineberger said about why he volunteers, “and I want them to have bodily autonomy. That’s probably the single biggest issue. But the other thing is just that I believe in democracy.”
Lineberger, a Raleigh resident, said he has been volunteering with the Harris-Walz campaign for several months. He described his experience as “very positive,” even when encountering staunch Trump supporters.
“[I had] two individuals that said that they were definitely going to vote for the other guy, but they were cordial about it. We had a dialogue. Even the people that said they were going to vote for Donald Trump were open to doing some more investigation,” Lineberger said.
Clark reminded the crowd of what is at stake during this election, and the need to get out the vote.
“It is on the line for women,” Clark told the Campus Echo.
Ross took it further, asserting that another Trump presidency would be “the greatest threat that we’ve had to this nation since the Civil War.”
“This is all in our own hands,” Clark said. “This is a time when North Carolina needs our help and attention, and I’m here to help show them that we’re in it for the long haul.
“As the highest-ranking woman in the House, I take a lot of responsibility to make sure that we come out of this election with our first woman president.”
