Grassroots Democrats HQ is a California-based political action committee that works to elect Democratic federal and state candidates. It is associated with Field Team 6, a multi-state Democratic get-out-the-vote organization. ¹

Background

Grassroots Democrats HQ was founded in 2019 and says its goal is to defend Democratic-held House seats and to flip Republican-held seats to Democratic control. The organization also works to flip state legislatures from Republican to Democratic control. ²

Grassroots Democrats HQ works with Democratic campaigns to “build information libraries” to recruit and train campaign volunteers and to conduct get-out-the-vote efforts. The organization contends canvassing and phone banking are the most effective voter-mobilization tools. The group provides training for both. ³

The organization has expanded to text banking as well as postcard and letter-writing for political volunteers who are not comfortable talking to voters. ⁴

Political Activities

Grassroots Democrats HQ helped Women’s March LA founder Emiliana Guereca launch a nationwide pro-abortion postcard campaign called “My Body My Choice.” ⁵

Grassroots Democrats HQ says that during the 2020 election cycle, staff and volunteers made 6.1 million phone calls, sent 3.1 million text messages, and wrote more than 700,000 postcards. ^{6 7}

In 2021, the organization says it made 925,000 phone calls, sent 2 million text messages, and mailed 300,000 postcards. ^{8 9} For 2021, much of the group’s focus was on helping California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) fend off a recall vote. ¹⁰

For the 2022 election cycle, Grassroots Democrats HQ was focused on defending seven Democratic-held U.S. House seats in California, while also focusing its resources on Senate races in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. ¹¹

Leadership

Melissa Grant is the president of Grassroots Democrats HQ. Grant is a class-action plaintiff’s attorney. She worked on seven Democratic campaigns that flipped U.S. House seats in 2018. She is a delegate to the California Democratic Party. Grant is the former president of the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club. ¹²

Tamara Levenson is the executive director of Grassroots Democrats HQ. In 2019, she co-founded the organization. She has been an elected delegate to the California Democratic Party. She is a former national phone bank coordinator for Code Blue. ¹³ She has been the director of campaigns for WM Sister Network, the political arm of the Women’s March Foundation. She was previously the co-manager and field director for the Westside Democratic HQ. ¹⁴

Brian Colker is the chief financial officer of Grassroots Democrats HQ. He is the California director of Code Blue. Colker helped to organize 11 district field programs in the 2018 midterm elections. He co-founded the Westside Democratic HQ. ¹⁵

1. Apsley, Benjamin; Yan, Kurtis; and Oruganti, Maanas Hemanth. “Protesters gather in support of abortion access following leaked draft opinion.” Daily Bruin. May 3, 2022. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://dailybruin.com/2022/05/03/protesters-gather-in-support-of-abortion-access-following-leaked-draft-opinion
2. “Grassroots Democrats HQ.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/gdhq/
3. “Grassroots Democrats HQ.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/gdhq/
4. “Grassroots Democrats HQ.” LinkedIn. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/gdhq/
5. Shuler, Aziza. “Women’s March Foundation launches ‘My Body My Choice’ Texas postcard campaign.” Spectrum News. December 6, 2021. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/politics/2021/12/06/women-march-foundation-launches-campaign
6.  “Accomplishments.” Grassroots Democrats HQ. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://grassrootsdems.org/accomplishments/
7. “Our Mission.” Grassroots Democrats HQ. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://grassrootsdems.org/mission/
8. “Accomplishments.” Grassroots Democrats HQ. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://grassrootsdems.org/accomplishments/
9. “Our Mission.” Grassroots Democrats HQ. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://grassrootsdems.org/mission/
10.  “Our Mission.” Grassroots Democrats HQ. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://grassrootsdems.org/mission/
11. “Our Mission.” Grassroots Democrats HQ. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://grassrootsdems.org/mission/
12. “Leadership and Staff.” Grassroots Democrats HQ. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://grassrootsdems.org/staff/
13. “Leadership and Staff.” Grassroots Democrats HQ. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://grassrootsdems.org/staff/
14. “Tamara Levenson.” National Network Assembly. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://nna2019.sched.com/speaker/levensont
15.  “Leadership and Staff.” Grassroots Democrats HQ. Accessed July 20, 2022. https://grassrootsdems.org/staff/