In the dismal aftermath of the 2016 election, Lucas Gatterman decided: “I needed to participate in our democracy.” Having delayed a term in his college career in favor of community action, today he’s hard at work as an Organizer in Bernalillo County, endeavoring to elect Democratic officials he believes will do the best job for our state.
Born and raised here, Lucas has been focusing on running a New Mexico Heritage Phone Bank. He’s also doing general training of phone bank volunteers and teaching the technique known as “hard ask” – a specific way of asking for things (donations or pledges to vote, e.g.) that increases the odds of getting a solid, reliable “yes.”
The districts Lucas oversees vary immensely in terms of average household income levels, running east to west, following Central Avenue, from the Four Hills area to Nob Hill. In terms of political leanings, he reports “the attitudes of the community towards Democrats feels fairly positive, with the exception of parts of the Four Hills.”
Bringing volunteers in the door has been an up-front challenge for Lucas. But he’s happy to say that once they’ve signed on, they continue volunteering on his teams.
One challenge for Lucas’s phone bankers is that a lot of folks in the districts he’s overseeing simply don’t pick up. But when connections are made, his volunteers report that their communications with Democratic voters are positive and effective.
Check your inbox each Monday for DPBC’s “Week in Action” e-blast to find out about and join forces with Lucas’s teams. Or contact him anytime to get on board.
[Photo and email] Lucas@NMDemocrats.org