By Lesly Muñoz
What a beautiful day! 68 degrees, sunshine, and seven of us hitting the pavement in North Salem to knock on doors, listen to our neighbors, and build the movement together.
This morning, when my six comrades and I started knocking on our first doors, I was reminded of why this work matters so much. Every conversation we had was a chance to listen, to understand what issues keep our neighbors up at night, what dreams they have for their families and their community, what they need from their elected representatives.
Over 163 doors knocked today. 163 opportunities to meet our neighbors face-to-face. 163 chances to tell them about the work I’m proud to have done as your State Representative in my last term, the legislation we fought for to protect workers, to stand up for immigrant families, to ensure that those at the bottom are lifted up, not left behind. And more importantly, 163 chances to hear from you about what matters most.
What struck me today was the power of doing this work together. My friends, my family, my comrades, walking door to door, conversations flowing naturally, laughter, real connection. This is what community organizing is about. It’s not transactional. It’s not about checking boxes. It’s about relationship. It’s about building trust and solidarity.
Knowing that I can count on friends and family to help me do this important work fuels me. It reminds me that this movement is not about me, it’s about all of us, together, fighting for a more just Oregon. When I see people showing up on a Saturday afternoon to knock doors, to get to know neighbors they’ve never met, to fight for a better future for ALL Oregonians, that is when I know we’re building something real.
And we’re just getting started. I can’t wait to go back to Salem. We’ll go back with experience now. We’ll go back with relationships. We’ll go back more prepared, more informed, more committed.
Because that’s what this is about: learning from you. Understanding your priorities. Making sure that the work we do in Salem reflects what you need and what you deserve. We asked you to tell us what matters to you. And that conversation, that listening, that’s everything.
If you want to join this movement, if you want to knock doors with us, if you want to be part of building a more just and prosperous Oregon for ALL of us, plug in here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/lesly-for-oregon
Thank you to my six comrades who showed up today. Thank you to the 163 families who opened their doors and let us listen. And thank you to everyone watching who’s ready to get involved.
The work continues. Let’s do this together.
¡El poder al pueblo! Power to the people!
Lesly Muñoz