Four Hundred Pounds

How do you run an election during a global pandemic? When lockdowns force everyone inside, do communities fracture, or are there new forms of connection that grow?

In early 2020, western Queens was the epicenter of the COVID pandemic in America. And in Astoria, a young activist had just announced his run for the State Assembly. His plan? Activate an army of grassroots volunteers to defeat a ten-year incumbent. Knock on every door. Talk to every voter.

But sometimes, the world has other plans. 

This is the story of that campaign, and the mutual aid networks that grew alongside it, but it's also a personal story. When the pandemic hit, I did what a lot of people did — I helped out, for a while. But then I stopped. 

This is about the people who didn't. 

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