On a wall in Jon Ossoff's Johns Creek Office (try saying that six times fast), there are sheets of 30-inch tall paper taped up side by side.
The once-white papers are now a chimera of colors, covered in the scrawls of members of the community who have stopped by the office to put their mark on the campaign. The other shiny, painted walls of the office are covered with bright posters detailing canvassing tips, early voting times, a plethora of "Jon Ossoff for Congress" signs and questions to ask potential voters in conversation. Yet the beauty of the Johns Creek office, and of all the offices associated with Ossoff's campaign, is neither the thorough canvassing strategies perfected and displayed on the walls nor the wholesome, summer-camp atmosphere that encapsulates the building. The beauty is in the hands that carried in the posters, wrote on them and carefully taped them up –– hands that, like the lines and curves on the posters, present a variety of sizes, shapes and colors.
Even in a world so robustly polarized in the demographics of its politics, if there is one central location where disunity becomes an afterthought, it is an office or campaign event associated with Jon Ossoff. At each and every one of the frequent events hosted by the Jon Ossoff campaign, even if it is pouring rain, volunteers of all ethnic backgrounds, ages and genders, with their "Hi my name is" nametags and "Jon Ossoff' t-shirts are shaking hands and conversing amongst themselves between bouts of fervent letter-writing, canvassing and making phone calls. Individual citizens, on their own initiative, have torn holes in their shoes walking from door to door advocating for Jon Ossoff.
Many of these citizens, seen walking the streets with their clipboards and smiles, championing Ossoff, happen to be teenagers. Rather than voicing their discouragement at being unable to cast a ballot for Ossoff in the upcoming special election, the 17-and-youngers have channeled their energy into lobbying for Ossoff in the community, ensuring that anyone who can vote for him, will. When Ossoff's Johns Creek office opened at 6 p.m. on Fulton County's last day of school, over 50 high school students were promptly present to campaign for Ossoff, holding canvassing materials in one hand and a marker to sign Ossoff's wall of support in the other. Even during their summer break, masses of teenagers have swapped out pool parties for "postcarding parties" –– gatherings where groups of friends each write postcards to registered voters, encouraging them to vote for Ossoff; they are often able to complete upwards of 500 postcards in one sitting.
It is this passion exactly, the fervor of the campaign's supporters, that upholds Ossoff and establishes him as the antithesis of the modern insolent campaign. The spirit that accompanies the campaign's every move speaks volumes about the future that Jon Ossoff is striving for. A future with so much potential that grown men and women are willing to walk miles after work to advocate for it, a future that high school students are willing to invest their time in; it is a future that has earned over $8.3 million of support from 200,000 donors nationwide.
Throughout the grueling, nine-month campaign period leading up to the Special Election, much has been said to influence the public opinion surrounding the "Democract running for office in Georgia's 6th." But it is the people who have put their faith in him whose actions speak the loudest about Jon Ossoff.
Click here to find out where to vote in Georgia's Special Election on June 20.
