The Joy of Door Knocking

There was no website or social media account to scroll through for information. Instead, I had to schedule a phone call with Deb Zvosec, the BirdDogs’ founder and leader, to learn more. We chatted awhile, then agreed on a date to door knock together in Grant, a town of 4,000 about 15 miles northeast of St. Paul. My training in the art of BirdDogging had begun.

A few days later, I loaded up my bike and drove to our meeting point, the shoulder of a county road bordered by dense green woods. I pulled up behind an SUV with two bikes on its rack. Deb stepped out, wearing a neon green biking shirt, her long hair pulled back in a braid, along with her husband, Steve Smith. They both looked 60ish and fit as they removed their bikes with ease.

Houses in Grant range from ramshackle to palatial and are separated by patches of forest or wide swaths of lawn, making biking more efficient—and more fun. We grabbed water bottles and campaign lit, strapped on our helmets and we were off. As we knocked on doors and chatted about our conversations with voters while riding between houses, I realized that this was the kind of democracy work I could live with.

“Building a team of volunteers that are consistently door knocking and phone banking is a critical, and difficult, part of winning a close race,” says Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy. “In just a few years the BirdDogs have become a core part of a number of successful legislative races, providing early and serious help as candidates build their teams. The BirdDogs are part of why we hold the Senate Majority, and when lifting up the vital work done in Minnesota in the past few years, it’s important to name them as one of the key contributors.”

The BirdDogs’ origin story begins in 2004. Eager to fight against the re-election of George W. Bush, Deb, a medical anthropologist, and Steve, an emergency physician, organized friends to register hundreds of people at local grocery stores and homeless shelters in Minneapolis. They also began door knocking in swing suburban districts to flip them from red to blue, which would eventually become a core BirdDog strategy.

Working to elect Tim Walz

In 2006, Deb and Steve were door knocking for state candidates when they heard then-U.S. Congressional candidate Tim Walz on the radio. Walz was running to flip a House seat in southern Minnesota that had been Republican for 102 of the previous 114 years, and Deb and Steve decided they had to help. They packed a car full of friends and drove to Mankato, where they met up with other volunteers and hit the doors. Walz won, and was reelected to the House five times before becoming governor of Minnesota in 2018.

In the 12 years after Walz’s first campaign, Deb and Steve continued this way, gathering friends from safe blue districts to door knock for Dems in swing districts across Minnesota.

Donald Trump’s 2016 victory changed everything. “People finally realized that it wasn’t enough to just vote, that they couldn’t take democracy for granted,” says Deb. “They were scared, and desperate for community, but everyone was running in a million directions at once, unsure of what to do and how to do it. Steve and I decided to up our game. We needed to take concerted action, and we needed to be organized as a team.”

Deb contacted dozens of friends and fired them up to work together. The BirdDog Democracy Action Team, aka BirdDogs, was born, named for the single-minded focus of bird dogs to accomplish their task.

That level of persistence is real. Deb expects it of herself and others, and it’s gotten results. Over the last eight years, the BirdDogs have evolved into a well-run grassroots organization that engages in democracy work year-round: citizen lobbying, testifying before legislative committees, attending rallies, phone banking and fundraising. But door knocking in swing districts poised to flip blue remains central.

Because most BirdDogs live in reliably blue Minneapolis and St. Paul, their efforts extend beyond their home districts to suburban, exurban and semi-rural districts. In the winter and early spring of every election year, they work together to identify and evaluate five or six key swing districts and candidates. They narrow it down to three strong candidates, invite them to a monthly meeting, get to know them, and hit the doors.

Knock, knock …

Door knocking, either alone or with BirdDogs buddies, is expected of everyone on the team of 30 to 40 dedicated volunteers. Deb asks for a minimum commitment of three shifts a month, but some volunteers go out multiple times every week. Direct voter contact through respectful one-on-one conversations and deep canvassing efforts have proven to be the most effective way to find and mobilize voters. Elections in critical swing districts have been decided by mere dozens of votes. Mobilizing voters makes all the difference, and the BirdDogs have learned to change what can be apprehensive, divisive or dour political conversations into authentic dialogue at the doors.

“Team members have become close friends,” Deb explains. “We have each other’s backs. One of the true joys of door knocking, for me, is to knock near a team member and hear peals of laughter coming from across the street. Whether it’s a house 20 steps from a suburban sidewalk or at the end of a half mile gravel driveway, walking up to a stranger’s door, ringing the doorbell and asking that stranger how they are going to vote is a decidedly odd endeavor.”

In 2018, BirdDogs knocked on 22,000 doors, starting with 2,000 doors for Democratic candidate Karla Bigham, in a special state Senate election in the dead of Minnesota winter. This was the first door knocking experience for many of the team, who knocked in January and February snowstorms and on brittle sunny days with temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees. Bigham won by just over 500 votes, receiving 51% of the vote to her opponent’s 47%. Come spring and the 2018 midterm elections, the team knocked 20,000 doors to help three state legislature candidates, Ginny Klevorn, Ruth Richardson and Heather Edelson. All three successfully flipped red districts to blue to take back the Minnesota House, riding the Blue Wave that swept the nation.

In 2020, the BirdDogs turned to the Minnesota Senate, which had been Republican since 2016. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the team pivoted from doors to phones, making 38,000 calls for three Minnesota candidates, Ann Johnson Stewart, Lindsey Port and Bonnie Westlin. Ann Johnson Stewart and Lindsey Port won their races, which narrowed the Republican majority to three seats, despite losing two Democratic seats in rural districts.

Flipping the Minnesota Senate

By the time I joined in 2022, the BirdDogs were intent on flipping the Minnesota Senate. They researched, interviewed and again chose three candidates in critical red districts: Kari Rehrauer, Heather Gustafson and Judy Seeburger, all strong supporters of women’s reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, gun safety legislation and public education funding. Between April and November, we knocked on 22,000 doors for these three women. Kari Rehrauer lost by a mere 186 votes to incumbent Jim Abeler (Rehrauer is running again this year for a seat in the Minnesota House). Heather Gustafson won by 2,510 votes, and Judy Seeberger won by 321 votes in the closest statewide race by percentage points. Those 321 votes flipped the Minnesota Senate to blue by just one seat, which created a Democratic trifecta in Minnesota.

In 2023, that trifecta allowed Tim Walz to sign an impressive number of progressive bills into law, including those that guaranteed reproductive rights and gender affirming care, strengthened gun safety and provided free breakfast, lunch and menstrual products to all Minnesota students.

Tim Walz is our Vice Presidential candidate because of his good work in Minnesota, made possible by a Democratic trifecta in place because Judy Seeburger won by 321 votes. The Bird Dogs, along with many others, made a difference.

“It’s up to us, each and all of us, to do our part,” Deb says. “It takes thousands of volunteers across a state, awesome candidates with good teams, and strong leadership. But you never know when you’re going to be at the tipping point and provide that extra push that helps to win a critical race by a small margin, which then flips the balance of a legislative body, or an entire state legislature into a trifecta, and opens the way for a wave of progressive legislation.”

After the 2022 election, I thought we might be able to take a break and bask in our victory. But no. There was more work to do.

In 2023, when the legislative session began, BirdDogs focused on a few key areas: reproductive rights, gun safety, end-of-life options and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). A team leader provided legislative updates and targeted actions as bills progressed. We wrote emails, testified at hearings and participated in citizen lobbying. Reproductive rights and gun safety bills that we supported were passed; those supporting end-of-life options and the ERA stalled.

That year, the BirdDogs also turned our attention to Wisconsin, one of the nation’s most heavily gerrymandered states ever since former Gov. Scott Walker and his fellow Republicans redrew the state’s legislative maps in 2011, essentially guaranteeing a one-party control in the state legislature. An April State Supreme Court election held the possibility of changing that, with the candidacy of Janet Protasiewicz, a Milwaukee lawyer with a history of supporting progressive causes and a belief in fair voting maps.

We focused on St. Croix County, about 45 minutes from the Twin Cities. The local Dems had been struggling post-Covid to rebuild their volunteer team. St. Croix County Democrats Vice-Chair, Michelle Roesler, hoped the BirdDogs could boost their canvassing efforts.

It was winter in Wisconsin, and it was cold. BirdDogs navigated icy neighborhoods and country roads to knock on doors. We scaled five-foot snowbanks to put up Judge Janet yard signs, deep blue beacons against the winter white. Protasiewicz won by 11 points statewide. Although she lost in St. Croix County, her share of the Democratic vote improved by double digits from the previous judicial election. Her victory paved the way for Wisconsin to enact new voting maps this year that eliminated gerrymandering.

“We’ve been under a gerrymander here for so long,” says Roesler, “but now Democrats are in a position to win. The BirdDogs’ steady commitment over the past 18 months has helped accelerate our local volunteer capacity, and it’s key to the gains we’ve made in recent elections. It’s not easy work, but the BirdDogs keep showing up.”

In the summer of 2023, the BirdDogs embarked on deep canvassing around gun safety in the eastern exurbs of St Paul. We talked with people of all parties, non-gun owners and gun owners, including strong second amendment supporters, asking for feedback on expanded background checks, red flag laws, safe storage of firearms, reporting of lost and stolen guns, and limits on assault style weapons. After canvassing, we met at a local bar to debrief over beer and write postcards thanking the people who had talked with us. Deb compiled the data, which showed the vast majority of voters supported reasonable gun safety laws. The data was then shared with legislators who planned to advance gun safety bills in the 2024 session.

Gearing up for 2024

And here we are, in 2024. Trump, again. Project 2025. The Minnesota House and Senate in danger of flipping red. We’ve chosen two Minnesota House candidates: Kari Rehrauer, our 2022 Senate candidate who lost so narrowly, and Lucia Wroblewski, a retired St. Paul Police officer and city council member in the town of Afton. We’re also back in Swing State Wisconsin. Every Monday night a phone banking team gathers on Zoom to make calls. BirdDogs cross the river several times a week to knock on doors, deliver yard signs and recruit volunteers throughout St Croix County.

We’re also door knocking in other rural Wisconsin counties where BirdDogs have connections. Over the past six months we’ve worked with local Democrats in Barron, Douglas and Washburn counties. People there have hosted weekend gatherings where folks door knock during the day and gather in the evening to debrief and share a good meal. According to Gerry Lisi, Secretary of the Barron County Democrats, “Those of us who knock a lot of doors during election season recognize our commonalities with the BirdDogs: courage, commitment, deep canvassing skills, and even bicycles. And what we wish we had: a community of friends sharing the road with us.” 

Roesler agrees. “The BirdDogs’ willingness to travel has strengthened our ties across northwest Wisconsin. They bring commitment, but also joy and a sense of humor. When you’re door knocking with a BirdDog you know that every turf has the potential for fun, even those busy highway turfs!”

Hard work infused with joy goes a long way. Our goal is 22,000 doors by Election Day; as of early October, we’re at 20,000.

‘ Democracy Joy’

BirdDogs are primarily white, middle aged, middle class urban dwellers who have the time and resources to devote to political work. Some are fully or semi-retired, but others work full time. Steve still works more than full time as an emergency physician. Deb, meanwhile, has turned her attention to political organizing full time, working countless hours a week—scheduling, door knocking, phone banking, compiling data and fundraising.

But what about people with abundant passion but less time and fewer resources? How can anyone make democracy work more fun and effective? What’s the secret sauce?

“For me, it’s about democracy joy,” Deb says. “It’s challenging yourself to do the work, and reaping the benefits of adventure and personal growth and insights and community. I’ve been an introvert my whole life, and at first this work was a constant struggle. But it’s changed me. It’s transformed how I am in the world.”

That sense of challenge within community is what sets the BirdDogs apart, and what has kept me coming back, even after an election season ends. Every month, Deb and Steve host a meeting of the BirdDogs in their home. Deb makes a main dish, and designated hosts bring salads and desserts. We eat and visit together for 30 minutes before the meeting. Then we dance, to warm-up. For some, this is enjoyable. For others, it’s the most dreaded part of the meeting.

After we dance, we settle in. Candidates join us so we can speak about them as friends. Current legislators and party leaders come and share what’s going on in their worlds. We talk successes and strategies. Deb gives prizes for any level of accomplishment, most of them hand made. She sews coasters from politically themed fabric. She knits mini pussy hats–in different colors representing different campaigns–and awards them to volunteers who’ve worked for each of the candidates.

Everything is organized via a private Facebook group, where we get information and sign up for shifts, ideally together. We bike and carpool, when possible, sometimes gather at the end of a shift for ice cream or a beer. At the end of each shift, we text the number of doors knocked, yard signs landed and potential volunteers identified. Deb then tracks, tallies and posts this data for ongoing motivation and accountability. She’s also wild about posting videos and photos of BirdDogs on the doors, on bikes or celebrating together. A recent video shows her talking about a jar of honey and six duck eggs that she received from two “delightful” rural voters.

“Our ultimate mission is to educate voters about our candidates and win their support,” Deb says, “but our daily goal for any door knocking shift is to make as many friends as possible for our candidates. Whether we secure their votes or not, we try to leave voters feeling better after talking with us than they did when they opened the door.”

“Our motto is, ‘It’s never convenient.’ It’s not easy and it’s not comfortable and we shouldn’t expect it to be,” Deb says. “We’re constantly pushing ourselves to work beyond our comfort zones, in what I call the challenge zone, which stops well short of the panic zone!” That work ethic is key to the BirdDogs’ longevity and success, but so is the joy upon which it’s built.

It’s been fun to be a Democrat these last few months. And even when it’s not so fun, being part of a community has made all the difference. It’s a lot of work. It takes time to drive to swing districts outside the Metro area. It takes coordination to work together on the doors, persistence to learn about the candidates and issues. But it’s no longer awkward or scary, and I know that the few voters that I might persuade on any single day are being multiplied by others doing the same thing.

Conversations make a difference. Community makes it joyful.

If you want more information on BirdDogs you can write to them at democracyjoy@gmail.com. BirdDogs are busy through Election Day, but will get back to you after that.

Sherry Kempf

Sherry Kempf is a writer and educator. Her work has appeared in Minnesota Poetry Calendar, ArtWord Quarterly, The Font, Minnesota Parent and River Teeth. She lives in Minneapolis with her family, and is currently seeking representation for her novel, June in Alaska.