Numbers

Four senators:

Susan Collins (R-ME)
Washington, D.C.: 202-224-2523
Augusta: 207-622-8414
Bangor: 207-945-0417
Biddeford: 207-283-1101
Caribou: 207-493-7873
Lewiston: 207-784-6969
Portland: 207-780-3575

Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Washington, D.C. 202-224-4521
Phoenix: 602-840-1891
Tucson: 520-575-8633

Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Washington, D.C.: 202-224-3954
Charleston: 304-342-5855
Eastern Panhandle: 304-264-4626
Fairmont: 304-368-0567

Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Washington, D.C.: 202-224-6665
Anchorage: 907-271-3735
Fairbanks: 907-456-0233
Juneau: 907-586-7277
Kenai: 907-283-5808
Ketchikan: 907-225-6880
Mat-Su Valley: 907-376-7665

Every time I make these calls, I feel that it’s useless. But still, I call. And if hundreds of thousands — or millions? — of people call? That might be far from useless.

Pro tip: calling a local office is a good way to avoid the D.C. “mailbox full” response. When I called one of Senator Manchin’s local offices, I startled upon realizing that I had reached a person, not another answering machine. I identified myself as an Illinois voter, as I always do: I’d never try to pass for a constituent. And I even took an extra few seconds to praise the West Virginia Welcome Center on Interstate 64 West. Why not?

[Telephone numbers from Contacting Congress.]