What people are saying:

“Ground Truth is exactly the kind of innovation our movement urgently needs. So much of the technology Democrats rely on to connect with voters is outdated and holding us back. Swing Left is helping craft the future-facing data infrastructure and technology stack for the progressive ecosystem that can fuel our shared success and push us all forward.”

“Winning elections starts with understanding the electorate—what moves people, what keeps them up at night, and what they want to see from the elected officials who represent them. Swing Left’s Ground Truth brings these insights to the surface, through deep and meaningful conversations conducted early enough in the cycle to actually affect how campaigns are run and won. With an approach that centers listening over lecturing, and expansiveness over exclusion, Ground Truth is flipping the script on canvassing, and forging a path for smarter, more strategic, and more effective campaigning.”

“As someone who began my career organizing on the Obama campaign, I know how powerful it is to truly listen to voters—it’s how we build trust and win. With so much at stake in the fight for fair maps and the future of our democracy, I’m thrilled to see Swing Left leading the way, combining innovation with the fundamentals of talking to people and building real connections in communities.”

“Swing Left’s Ground Truth campaign is exactly the kind of work I would love to have funded when I was funding progressive work. By looking past the status quo way of operating and focusing on forging a new approach - knocking on more doors and sooner, listening and drawing genuine insights from those conversations, and connecting the data and the doors to campaigns and organizations for more engagement, Swing Left is building wider, deeper and more authentic connections to voters at a time where our ability to connect will make the difference between opportunity and progress or more drift into authoritarianism. It’s hard, deep, creative work and I’m grateful we all get to learn from it."

“For more than fifty years, I’ve seen that real change comes from organizing people around their own life experiences. Ground Truth carries that tradition forward — combining new tech and tools with the timeless principles of listening, respect, and collective action. It’s helping grow the next generation of organizers who believe, as I do, that when we act together, we can build a more just and compassionate nation.”

"This moment demands boldness — a willingness to look beyond analytics and data to truly listen to voters: what motivates them, what worries them, and what they hope for in the future. Ground Truth is a transformative model that will turn real conversations at the doors into smarter digital strategy and more authentic storytelling. At its heart, it reflects a shared understanding that we have more work to do — to listen better, align our mission with what voters value, and rebuild the trust that turns engagement into real momentum."

“The Fifth District stretches from Portland’s suburbs to Oregon’s rural towns, and voters everywhere are eager to be heard. Swing Left’s volunteers have been walking doors and talking with voters in Oregon’s 5th for years, and Ground Truth is deepening that work by helping us listen first, understand what’s really on people’s minds, and strengthen trust across the district. Starting these conversations early expands what any single office or candidate can do alone, helps me better represent my constituents, and lays the groundwork Democrats need to win the big fights ahead.”

“We’re in a moment that calls for ambitious experimentation — trying big new things and learning quickly what works. Ground Truth is aiming to do just that. Its focus on authentic conversations with often overlooked voters, paired with new technology to generate evidence-based insights at scale, may help unlock new learnings to guide strategy long before and after Election Day.”

“I’m excited to partner with Ground Truth to rethink how campaigns learn from voters and from each other. DDx is about getting the best data into the right hands so programs can be smarter, faster, and more effective. Supporting innovative programs like Ground Truth by facilitating data movement and access shows exactly what investment in our infrastructure is built to do.”

“Swing Left’s Ground Truth effort brings neighbors together early for open, one-on-one conversations about what matters most in their daily lives. Those exchanges are critical to giving us insight we need to deliver real solutions and build a stronger, more responsive democracy that lasts well beyond any one campaign.”

"The future of progressive politics, and of the Democratic party, depends on connecting bold ideas with grassroots intelligence — the real, lived experiences of people across the country. Too often, that connection has been missing. Ground Truth aims to change that, turning what we learn from real conversations into strategy that wins. When progressives pair bold vision with real understanding of voters, we deliver lasting change."

“Winning tough races that no one thought possible requires doing the important work of listening to voters, learning what matters most, and turning that into action. Swing Left’s Ground Truth is working to give campaigns the tools they need to run effective voter contact programs, because understanding and being able to respond directly to the struggles facing voters is critical to Democrats’ success in 2026 and beyond.”

“Young people are demanding leaders who actually listen, and not just during election season, but all the time. Ground Truth gives us a way to have those conversations early and make sure our voices shape the future we’re inheriting. As someone organizing the next generation of voters, I see this work as essential to building the kind of government that listens to and delivers for everyone, not just the powerful few."

“Real leadership starts with listening. That is why I have personally been knocking on doors across mid-Michigan all year, and it is why I am excited about Swing Left's Ground Truth effort. By having real and ongoing conversations with people, not just when we need their votes, we build trust and learn about what is really happening in their lives. Those strengthened bonds will not only help us win elections in 2026, but also deliver meaningful results when we do.”

“I'm a firm believer that one of the Democratic Party’s biggest failures has been neglecting to listen to voters and trying to understand not only their positions on poll-tested issues, but how they are feeling about government, the Democratic Party, and whether or not they trust either to represent them. You don’t have to be a political strategist to understand that the majority of Americans are feeling disillusioned with both the Party and the system writ-large, you just have to have conversations with people outside of the beltway bubble. Ground Truth is such an overdue and necessary effort that is doing just that—knocking on the doors of all voters—not just registered Democrats—with no other agenda than to listen to them talk about their fears, frustrations, and unmet needs. If I were advising the Democratic Party, I would tell them to pay far closer attention to the conversations and trend lines Ground Truth surfaces than any poll they might commission a consultant to design.”

“Ground Truth is critically important. Deep listening and reaching voters where they are is the future of voter contact, and we need more organizations like Swing Left leading the way. Ground Truth will continue Swing Left’s long tradition of running innovative programs that drive outsized electoral impact.”

“After decades of chasing national headlines, the Democratic movement needs to relearn how to talk to the working class about their lives, not just D.C. talking points. Ground Truth is an essential initiative because it provides the kind of granular, on-the-ground data that cuts through polling noise and institutional elitism. It’s the critical intelligence needed to rebuild our coalition with integrity and focus on the economic issues that truly unite the working families of this country.”

“Upstate New York has a deep tradition of folks looking out for one another — and that’s exactly what Ground Truth is all about. Swing Left’s volunteers are already out having meaningful, one-on-one conversations with voters across small towns and rural communities about the issues that define their lives — jobs, healthcare, and affordability. Ground Truth’s early engagement is strengthening democracy and our campaign.”

“I’ve spent my whole career building systems that actually bring campaigns together — getting the data, the strategy, and the message pointed in the same direction so Democrats can win up and down the ballot. Ground Truth is the next step in that evolution. It turns real conversations with real voters into something campaigns can actually use, making every part of our operation smarter and more connected. At the end of the day, it helps us talk with people, not at them — and that’s the shift our party needs if we’re going to run stronger, more effective campaigns in every community.”

“Winning elections starts with meeting people where they are and earning their trust. That principle is at the core of Ground Truth. By knocking on every door and reaching the 25% of people traditional campaigns miss, we build essential trust through authentic, two-way conversations. That’s how we win elections, shape policy that works for everyone, and build a system that represents us all.”

“If we want to restore faith in Democrats, we’ve got to earn it back the hard way — by knocking on doors, having honest conversations, and listening to people who feel unheard. Swing Left’s Ground Truth model is showing how we can do that at scale, combining the best of grassroots organizing with new tools that actually help campaigns learn from voters. It’s a blueprint for how Democrats can reconnect with Americans everywhere and prove that government can still work for them.”

“The evidence is clear: ‘field’ works, but there is a lot more we can do to optimize canvassing and maximize its impact. To that end, Swing Left’s ‘Ground Truth’ is an important innovation that is working to turn volunteer-driven, face-to-face conversations into smarter campaign strategies.”

"Swing Left knows that what matters isn’t how many doors you knock, it’s the relationships you build. Ground Truth is breaking new ground by moving past one-off conversations and creating a model where volunteers follow up, stay connected, and even bring candidates into the dialogue. I’m excited about the rigorous testing behind this model and how it can help us run smarter campaigns."

“Swing Left’s Ground Truth program creates space for genuine dialogue across every neighborhood so we can better understand and reflect our communities’ experiences. Hearing directly from families, veterans, and small-business owners gives us insights no poll or algorithm could ever provide, and it’s how we’ll build lasting power heading into 2026 and beyond.”

“Virginia’s Seventh District is home to families, workers, and veterans who deserve a government that listens and delivers. I’m grateful for Swing Left’s Ground Truth program, which helps rebuild trust in our institutions by connecting volunteers directly with voters to talk about what’s working, what’s broken, and how we can fix it together. Grassroots partnerships like this are how we strengthen our democracy and lower the cost of living — and how we build the momentum to win back the House in 2026.”

“The integrity of Democrats’ data is paramount to winning. Ground Truth provides the progressive ecosystem with real-time, on-the-ground insights that directly validates and enhances our understanding of the electorate. This investment in our voter data infrastructure, allows TargetSmart and our partners to focus resources where they will have the greatest strategic impact and deliver widespread wins for our candidates.”

“Ground Truth combines technology and human insight to flip the script on the standard relationship between messaging research and knocking on doors. By making real connections and collecting data at the same time, Ground Truth creates a continuous feedback loop, meaning voter communication is more relevant, more authentic, and more impactful.”

“From congressional races to presidential campaigns, I’ve seen firsthand how listening to voters face-to-face drives better outcomes and stronger campaigns. Ground Truth offers a powerful new model that can transform and strengthen campaigns and storytellers alike. Its real-world insight will help us better reflect the voices of our communities, particularly those who have been left behind and overlooked.”