SANTA MONICA, Calif. – If you’re already “dialed in” to politics you might recognize this as a grass-roots phone bank. It is less than a year from the 2020 election and the U.S. Senate is on the line.

Each number is a tough call for these activists in Los Angeles and Santa Monica. They are calling registered voters in Arizona, hoping to fill the late Senator John McCain’s seat with democrat Mark Kelly in November.

John Medlin, a stock trader by day, tallies every answer, hang up, and voicemail message.

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“This is politics in the raw,” Medlin said as he looked at a spreadsheet.

Medlin makes hundreds of calls and on a good night he might talk to two people.

“Roughly one per hour,” Medlin said.

The rest is mostly dial tone.

When one person picks up, the Democrats stick to a script. If the person on the other line is like-minded, they make plans to follow up.

There are rewards: free food, good company, and the feeling that the blue state of California can make a difference in 2020.