Billy Kennedy, right, the Democratic nominee for the US House seat currently held by Republican Virginia Foxx, speaks with a Forsyth County voter during a canvass of west Winston-Salem on May 22.
With the help of roughly 30 campaign volunteers and supporters, Billy Kennedy, the Democratic nominee for the US House seat currently held by Republican Virginia Foxx, canvassed in Winston-Salem on May 22. Kennedy and two campaign staffers traveled to a neighborhood off Jonestown Road and spoke with registered voters about his campaign.
After engaging in a lengthy discussion about immigration, one registered Democrat said: “I’ll support you. There needs to be more plain thinking people in office.”
At each stop, Kennedy introduced himself and asked voters what issues are most important to them. Kennedy, a farmer and a carpenter, said he developed the technique of assessing voter attitudes while working on behalf of the Watauga County Democratic Party in the 1990s. The strategy is to gather information on voters’ concerns, then bring those concerns back to the Democratic party and serve as a liaison between the voters and elected officials.
“We did it several weekends in a row until we pretty much canvassed the whole county,” Kennedy explained. “It was a good way of getting support. We’ve got a real giving community here. Once people are made aware of their neighbors struggles, they try to help out.”
The added benefit for those doing the canvassing is they get to know their neighbors.
“We all do better when we know our community and we know our neighbors,” Kennedy said. “That’s what folks living in rural communities find appealing — the more you know your neighbors, the less you fear them and canvassing does that.”
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