Special Election Day blog post from Schuyler, the leader of our statewide volunteer effort. Our campaign would not have been possible without the dedication and passion of our amazing volunteers, and for that, we can't thank you enough!

What seems simultaneously like it was yesterday and an eternity ago, we embarked on a campaign to elect Jerry Brown as the next Governor of the State of California.

From the beginning, we knew the financial resources of our opponent would be unmatchable. With this understanding, built a campaign based on the passionate dedication of volunteers across the state.

I began reaching out to communities throughout California to find leaders willing and able to take on an ambitious task: lead their local countywide field effort to elect Jerry, and do it as a volunteer. It takes a special individual to take on such a challenging job, but it’s those same qualifications that bring out the most altruistic and hard-working people.

Our strategy was to not create entirely new systems and networks just for this campaign. We firmly believe each community already has its strong Democratic organizations, and if we could plug into those groups, we would help build up already-existing networks. Our goal was to find the strongest local Democratic contingents and use their resources to support our grassroots campaign.

We spoke with Democratic Central Committee leadership throughout the state, talked to local Democratic groups, and interviewed lots of strong candidates, quickly building a statewide operation run entirely by volunteers.

Many of the people we selected to spearhead our local countywide campaigns have been community organizers since Jerry began his career, while others have only just begun to engage in local organizing. In some counties, we matched recent college graduates with veteran organizers so that their unique skill sets would complement one another.

As our County Coordinators were appointed, they began to build upon their local political infrastructure. We equipped our volunteers with materials, ideas, and resources from the campaign to help them succeed and sent them lists of volunteers in their area who had signed up on our website so they could fold them into local organizing efforts and build deeper support for Democrats throughout their region.

Our volunteers have exceeded our expectations at every turn. We have people who quit their jobs to work full-time for the campaign in their county, and others who are casualties of the market downturn and lost their jobs yet spend their time volunteering for Jerry, driven by their faith that he will restore the California Dream. Some volunteers have homes in foreclosure and still use their spare time to fight to get California back on track under Jerry’s leadership.

There are so many exceptional volunteers throughout that state, and to mention any by name would be to omit too many others. However, I hope that I can convey the gratitude and respect that I, the campaign staff, and especially Jerry feel for their immeasurable contribution to our effort. Whether they worked one or 100 hours, we couldn’t have done this without them.

Although I was born and raised here, my work with leaders and community members throughout the state has given me a deeper love and respect for Californians. The passion our volunteers brought to every task we assigned, the dedication they showed to our campaign, and the infinite belief they have in Jerry to lead our state back from the brink continue to amaze me.

So this is our small thank you to our volunteers throughout the state, from whom we draw inspiration on a daily basis. During each conversation I have with a supporter, every phone bank I visit, and at the rallies across California, the enthusiasm our volunteers exhibit encourages me—not only about not this election, but about the future of our state.

Guest post from staffer Victoria Hassid, who spent the weekend in Eureka preparing for Jerry's sixth stop on his statewide tour. Thanks to everyone who came out to our events and helped make Jerry's final campaign push a huge success!

I started planning my Halloween costume around mid-July; I kid you not. I love Halloween—I often see it as the ultimate holiday of fun, jokingly calling it the “single person’s Super Bowl.”

But costumes, parties and trick or treating were far from my mind this weekend as I hunkered down in Humboldt County for three days with colleague Sarah in preparation for Jerry’s visit as part of his 12-city statewide blitz.

Neither Sarah nor I had ever been to Eureka, let alone advanced an event for Jerry completely on our own. We were excited, nervous and unsure what to expect. No amount of experience, however, could have prepared me for the energy, passion and excitement Humboldt County holds for Jerry.

From the minute we hit the ground, we were met with open arms as people from all over both Humboldt County and northern Del Norte County gathered to help give Jerry a warm welcome. We drove up and down 101, meeting volunteers eager to donate their time, money, and resources to make sure Jerry felt the love.

Supporters started lining up in the dark at 6 am Sunday morning outside the historic Samoa Cookhouse, the longest continuously running, (and last surviving) logger chowhouse. As locals from across the area, some as far as two hours north, filled the restaurant, wafts of syrup, sausage and French toast began filling the air.

The anticipation was high as everyone waited for Jerry’s arrival; the energy palpable. As soon as our candidate walked in, everyone immediately stood to their feet. The crowd was electric.

Before long, Jerry hopped on a small riser, surrounded by supporters. The crowd hung onto his every word.

While joking that he “wasn’t quite awake yet,” he easily discussed his California roots, his love for the North Coast, and why we still needed to move forward on thoughtful environmental policy—a fact hardly lost amidst the one of California’s most gorgeous stretches of coastline.

Our weekend in Eureka combined with Jerry’s remarks reminded me yet again why this election is so important. All weekend, we met people who will rely on our next governor for jobs, to save our environment, to get our state back on track. We all know that only Jerry can get this done.

And while he reminded us that we have tough decisions ahead, that it will not always be easy, he also gave us hope. Hope that California’s recent struggles would serve to provide lessons on how we can strengthen our state and make us better than ever.

Unlike some other candidates I know, Jerry isn’t trying to make us the next Texas or Colorado. We don’t need to try and be some other state.

A lifelong Californian himself, Jerry knows California is the best state. And the rest of us, we who have spent all or part of our lives here, agree. As our next Governor, Jerry will focus on what makes us strong, shaping our state into the land of possibility and innovation it’s always been.

As Jerry jetted off to the airport towards his next stop in Chico, Sarah and I joined hundreds of local supporters to wave him goodbye. I felt inspired in a way I so rarely do these days. Love, optimism, and pride washed over me as I was reminded, yet again, about why I can’t wait for Jerry Brown to lead California.

Victoria (right) joins fellow supporters at the Eureka Democratic Headquarters.

It's a feat only a legendary leader like Jerry can pull off--thirteen stops in just three days.

Starting tomorrow morning, our guy will crisscross California in his final push to encourage supporters to get out the vote on Election Day. From pizza places to parks to local county headquarters, Jerry's excited to meet everyone who has worked so hard to make his campaign such an incredible effort.

But we can't cross the finish line without your help. Jerry's doing his part to help bring voters to the polls, and we hope you'll join him. We're hosting corresponding volunteer efforts at each event this weekend and it would be amazing if you could help out at one, even for an hour or two. The best part? Lend your time, and you'll be handsomely rewarded with preferred access to Jerry's appearance.

If you haven't yet taken a look at the various cities on the tour route, check out our event website and drop your RSVP. Better yet, watch the video below to see where the original California Man will be stopping.

(And as a bonus, click here for a roundup of fun facts about each city that I just put on the Huffington Post.)

Guest post from two SoCal Jerry supporters, Chad Jones and Dante Atkins. Chad, the President of Valley Grassroots for Democracy, and Dante, a featured writer for DailyKos, are both members of the Democratic Party of San Fernando Valley (DPSFV). DPSFV, one of the largest grassroots campaign efforts in California, is an umbrella organization that hosted a rally with the six major candidates on the Democratic ticket this past weekend.

Most of the time, it's a big deal for a statewide Democratic candidate in California to stop by a grassroots volunteer campaign office. Six on the same day would be absolutely unheard of, especially when headlined by Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown.

But the DPSFV recently got some good news: Along with Kamala Harris, Debra Bowen, Gavin Newsom, John Chiang, and Barbara Boxer, Jerry Brown himself was coming to our rally!

This past Sunday, several hundred enthusiastic Jerry supporters stuffed inside our office, a former video store, until it was bursting at the seams. Everyone wanted to hear what our once and future governor had to say.

When Jerry arrived, he took pictures and personally spoke to just about everybody. The program even started a few minutes early. When was the last time a rally began on time?

Even more amazing than our start-time was the multitude of volunteers who stayed at our office after the program ended to phone-bank and get out the vote for Jerry. Usually at events like these, when the big names are finished, the crowd starts to thin. But not in the San Fernando Valley! In fact, we expect to see many of the same faces next weekend when we walk a hundred precincts in support of the Democratic ticket.

After three commanding debate performances, a television ad that has been hailed as one of the best of the cycle, and a series of increasingly favorable polling numbers, Sunday's Rally in the Valley served as even more proof that Californians are eager and motivated to see Jerry Brown become their next Governor.

For more from Sunday's Rally in the Valley, check out our Flickr album.

Guest post from Colin, a San Diego native and campaign staffer, who helped coordinate Jerry's rally at SDSU last Thursday.

Last Thursday, our campaign held a huge rally on the campus of San Diego State University. More than 500 people attended the standing-room-only event.

The Associated Students of SDSU had invited both Jerry and the Meg Whitman campaign to visit their campus, but only Jerry Brown decided to accept their invitation.

While we had been talking with the SDSU student government for a few weeks about the potential event, the decision was finalized midday on Monday. That gave us only 36 hours to setup the rally.

For the next two days, the campaign blitzed the campus, passing out flyers with volunteers and helping students make phone calls to tell their friends. The local Democratic Party and SDSU organizers blasted out emails and Facebook invites, letting people know Jerry was coming to town.

By about 10 a.m. on the morning of the rally, the first few people started to trickle into a line. Within an hour, it had stretched around the building, through the campus plaza.

Our candidate took the stage to chants of “Jerry – Jerry!” He was flanked by student leaders and a diverse group of San Diego elected officials, including Assemblymember Mary Block, Senator Christine Kehoe, and City Councilmember Todd Gloria.

Jerry explained that when he attended UC Berkeley, tuition was only $125, causing students to both laugh and groan. The audience cheered when he discussed why California should be willing to invest more in education, saying students “are the future, and you’re going to contribute back wealth many times over what people give.”

Jerry’s comments touched briefly on the campaign, comparing its frugality with the unprecedented personal spending of our opponent. When he pointed out that “sometimes when you don’t have enough, you make better decisions, because you have to think about stuff,” the crowd erupted with applause.

After all, starving college students know a thing or two about penny-pinching.

For more from San Diego, check out this video of Jerry's speech and our Flickr album of photographs.

Guest post from our Alameda County Coordinator, Heather, who has been planning some amazing and creative events for our large contingent of volunteers in the East Bay. Read about her experience below, and please consider joining her team or one near you for the last stretch of efforts this week!

As the Alameda County Volunteer Coordinator, it has been inspirational for me to see people from all over the county come in and give their time to help elect Jerry Brown. It speaks to the candidate and to the amazing volunteers who can imagine a better California and are willing to reach out to their friends, their families and their neighbors to make it a reality.

But more still needs to be done. The polls are currently in our favor, but polls are not reality. Just because someone says they will cast a vote for someone does not mean that come Election Day they actually turn in a ballot.

That's why we must ensure that every voice is heard, every ballot cast. We want not only California but also the nation to know that this state and our elections are not for sale, that we deserve better for our children, ourselves, our environment, our future. It is not a mandate if only one-quarter of the people who can vote, do vote. And this is a message that deserves to be a mandate.

Every time we connect with a voter face-to-face, it increases the likelihood that they will vote by 10 percent. And dropping ten door hangers is the equivalent.

We've been lucky to have good turnouts for our debate potluck watch parties and other events, including the So You Think You Can Vote table at the Paramount Theater during the So You Think You Can Dance auditions.

But we are kicking it up a few more notches in our big push to Get The Vote Out these final days.

This Sunday, we're hosting our very first Knocktoberfest: an afternoon of canvassing followed by an Oktoberfest-themed barbeque, including bratwurst and pretzels - lederhosen optional.

On Tuesday, we're throwing a trivia night. Come to phone back and stay for the Jerry Brown and California trivia. Prizes, including some sweet Jerry swag, will be awarded.

And on Wednesday, we will be hosting Boogie for Brown at Luka’s Tap Room in Oakland. Phonebank from 6-9 and then enjoy free salsa lessons and dancing afterward.

If you don't live near the Bay Area, you can still join in the statewide effort - visit my.jerrybrown.org to join a group near you, sign up for local efforts, and even plan an event of your own.

I hope to see you out there on the campaign trail during our final stretch!

Heather's volunteers hard at work at a post-debate phone bank in Oakland.

Guest post from Patrick Ahrens, a fourth-year UCLA student, who attended Jerry's rally with Bill Clinton last Friday.

Most classes at UCLA are not offered on a Friday, but an unusually large amount of students gathered around the front of the iconic Royce Hall anyway. Armed with clipboards, voter registration cards, and a profound sense of service, they spread throughout campus to mobilize their peers for the upcoming election.

News of the California Democratic Party offering a special rally with President Clinton and Democratic candidates Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom has been the talk of UCLA all month. Despite the overcast weather, a sense of electricity hung in the air as lines to enter the event quickly sprawled around campus buildings.

Not only the droves of UCLA students attended, but thousands from the greater Los Angeles area came together to witness the great trifecta of this election cycle. All three politicians speaking on the importance of investing in higher education, especially in times of economic hardships.

Many students from our club, The Bruin Democrats, decided to show up and urge Jerry to be a champion for the DREAM Act. To our excitement, in front of thousands of supporters, he delivered a firm commitment in his speech. “Whether they are documented or not. If they went to school, they ought to be here,” Jerry said as we looked on and cheered in raucous excitement.

The rally was an astounding and irreplaceable moment for many UCLA students. We will never forget the night, from the more than 80 volunteers registering voters beforehand to the waves of supporters beaming in anticipation of seeing the next Governor of California. The crowd was so espoused by the thought of all three politicians on stage that by the time Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa gave his introduction, they could not stop chanting.

As Jerry said during his speech that night, “It’s about the people.” The event would not have been a success without the help of all the dedicated supporters rallying behind him.

Guest post from Andy Lewis, one of the leaders of our Los Angeles volunteer effort. Andy attended the Day of Action event in LA and was inspired by the variety of supporters he met and the stories they shared.

It's hard to accurately capture the genuine grassroots enthusiasm I witnessed during Jerry Brown's Day of Action events on Saturday at the California Democratic Party’s office in Los Angeles’s mid-city neighborhood. The dedication the volunteers exhibited throughout the day was a testament to the fervent desire to fix California with the power of Jerry Brown's leadership.

There are several campaign offices around Los Angeles, but the mid-city office (where we spent our day) is run by a couple of recent college graduates—Rani Woods and Brandon Gassaway—that make you believe the future of California is very bright indeed.

Rani is seven feet of energy packed into a five-foot package. One minute she’s explaining to volunteers how to do a campaign call and the next she’s calming the jitters of an interns who agreed to answer a few of a reporter’s questions about the event on camera. Watching Rani speak so passionately about her belief in Jerry Brown as the only choice to fix California, I could tell I was looking at a future leader.

And then there’s her co-director Brandon—as utterly unflappable and confident as Joe Montana. I never saw him break a sweat, but I never saw him stop moving either. Brandon’s got a great story. He’s from New Orleans. In fact, he was a senior at the city’s best high school when Hurricane Katrina hit. His whole class scattered across the country (the only time they were all together again was for graduation) and he ended up in California. Five years later he has adopted California as his home state and he is clearly passionate about getting his new state working again for all Californians - he knows Jerry is the best candidate for the job.

The volunteers I met were amazing.

In the late morning Rebecca Marcos showed up with twenty Spanish-speaking volunteers. Her group came because they believe it’s crucial we follow Jerry’s approach to immigration reform and undocumented workers and not adopt Meg’s harsh ideas.

At the next table over Adam Swart, from UCLA’s College Democrats, sat next to Aaron Perman, the vice-president of USC’s College Democrats. They were surrounded by volunteers from both schools working hand-in-hand all day. If Jerry Brown can get UCLA and USC students working together, bringing the California legislature together will be a piece of cake!

At lunch I picked up pizzas with Shannon McCallum. On the drive over, he told me how he got his first job working in the Americorp program but he recently realized he needs a college degree to succeed, and next fall he plans to go back to school. In the meantime, he’s volunteering for Jerry Brown’s campaign to protect California’s colleges for people like him. He hopes to go into public service when he gets his college degree. He said volunteering for Jerry had really inspired him because it showed him that the campaign was really about the hard work and hopes of ordinary Californians who donated their time for Jerry.

We even had entertainment! Brian Samuel and his band Caribbean Breeze fired up the volunteers with a little mid-day music. Brian led the crowd in a sing-a-long of “Jerry Brown Will Save Us," a song he wrote especially for the campaign.

I was so jazzed up by the enthusiasm of the volunteers that I couldn’t sleep for hours after I got home on Saturday.

There is something about Jerry Brown – his visionary policies, his lifelong service to the people, his relentless belief in the spirit of California - that motivates so many different kinds of people to dedicate their time to ensuring that he is the one representing their interests and defending what is best for the citizens of our state. I saw this Jerry Brown effect in full force on the Statewide Day of Action.

There’s been an upsurge of grassroots political activism among ordinary Americans of late. It started with the Obama campaign in 2008 and continues today in Jerry’s run for governor. It’s fashionable to say that money trumps all in politics, but Saturday’s Day of Action showed that’s not really true.

This year, the least expensive campaign in California’s history is going to beat the most expensive. The reason? This is the people’s campaign.

And the people want Jerry Brown.

Volunteers get out the vote for Jerry in Los Angeles during the Day of Action.

One of our largest Day of Action efforts occurred in (not surprisingly) one of the largest counties: Los Angeles. Droves of supporters poured into the Mid-City LA office throughout the day to get out the vote for Jerry. Some of the volunteers were nice enough to share their thoughts about the whole experience with me. Here’s what they had to say...

Adam Swart, UCLA Campus Coordinator:

We had a great time! My favorite part was a live band that played an original song about Jerry Brown. I feel like this event really got people more pumped up about the campaign. I was great meeting all of the other awesome volunteers in person! We're psyched for next week, and we're especially looking forward to Friday's rally with President Clinton (and phone-banking beforehand).

James Park:

The Day of Action in Los Angeles County comprised a diverse ethnic community much like the state of California, and it was great to see people coming together to support a candidate they viewed as best leading the state out of its downturn.

It was definitely a great sight to see USC & UCLA students staffing the phone lines, sitting at the same table, side-by-side. Guest speakers we had from the state and national Democratic Party were inspiring. I left the day feeling that the campaign was in a good position, but I also believe that a sprint towards the finish is the best way to assure a victory. March On!!!

Josh Zetlin:

To me, the Day of Action offered a strong example of the dedication people feel towards Jerry Brown. I felt proud knowing tons of supporters joined me in donating a precious Saturday to Jerry's campaign. Even though I had to drag myself out of bed shortly after sunrise, I never once felt tired. The energy of the event and the crowd motivated me to work all day long... And I know everyone else there felt the same way.

From the moment the day started, I noticed a strong sense of community amongst the volunteers. People of all ages, from countless backgrounds, shared the common bond of supporting Jerry Brown's vision for the state of California! I truly believe that grassroots efforts like our Day of Action will help Jerry prevail in November, regardless of how much money Meg Whitman throws into her campaign.

Wil G:

I was really struck by one phone bank volunteer's reason for supporting Jerry. She said she was a retired nurse, and during Jerry's first governorship she was working at a clinic focused on needy populations. She spoke of how Jerry personally showed up at the clinic in his Plymouth, and she was struck by his direct involvement in serving those most in need of help. She had driven across town from marathon training in the early morning to volunteer at the phone bank.

I also was impressed by the high school students coming to make calls; I certainly was not that engaged when I was a teenager. I think it says something that as venerable a figure in California politics as Jerry can get California high school students to call on his behalf.

Joe Cislowski, LA County Coordinator:

The Day of Action was a great success! Here in Los Angeles County, many of us gathered together at the Mid-Los Angeles California Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign Headquarters on Washington and Western. The Coordinators there, Brandon Gassaway and Rani Woods, were extremely well-organized and made us all feel right at home.

The highlight of my day? My cell phone rang, and I answered it with the usual, “Hello, this is Joe.” The response was, “Hello, this is Jerry.” Our candidate was taking valuable time away from his debate preparations to thank a volunteer!

I quickly switched on my phone’s speaker, pulled together all the busy troops into one room, and instead of thanking one volunteer, he had the chance to express his appreciation to hundreds of us. What a morale boost!

My hope is that he was equally encouraged by the thunderous “We love you Jerry” cheer he got from the enthusiastic volunteers.

The huge outpouring of volunteers to our Day of Action event is clear evidence that the momentum is with Jerry Brown. But we can’t rest now. Please take a moment to find your own local Democratic Headquarters, and get on the phones or go door-to-door to help ensure Jerry Brown’s victory on November 2!

This Saturday, as hundreds of volunteers throughout the state came together for Jerry Brown's Statewide Day of Action, Felix and I hopped in the car and road-tripped down the coast to visit some of the counties involved.

We began our day at 6am, heading south out of San Francisco on the 101. A beautiful sunrise greeted us, starting our adventure on a positive note.



First we stopped by the Salinas headquarters, where volunteers were arriving for a massive canvassing effort.



We then visited our friends in Monterey at their office lovely San Bonifacio plaza, who were busy listening to Congressman Sam Farr give an inspiring speech.







From there, we headed to San Luis Obispo, where local Democratic leaders Pat and Susan manned the office while their volunteers braved the heat to walk precincts and get out the vote for Jerry.



Continuing south, we stopped in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara. Although both offices were closing up shop for the day, they reported great success for each of their Day of Action events.

Finally, we made it to Ventura in the nick of time. County Coordinator Brian was thrilled to report a full house of enthusiastic volunteers phone-banking all day.



Our trip only represented a small fraction of the energized supporters throughout California who rallied together to spread Jerry's message and engage voters. Check out our Flickr album to see the variety of people and efforts from an extremely successful day. And an enormous thank you to everyone who participated!