Former President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen reprised their buddy routine in Philadelphia on Monday. Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey brought singer John Legend to church in Philadelphia the day before. And on Saturday, Service Employees International Union local 32BJ featured its own celebrity, Tyron Payne.

Payne is an amiable, bushy-bearded, 44-year-old security guard at a Philadelphia hospital. For months, however, he has been on leave from his job, working seven days a week walking the streets of the city, drumming up votes. Guided by a phone app that identifies target households, the father of five has knocked on 10,000 doors since May, walking about 12,000 steps daily, according to his Garmin watch. He does the gritty work of organizing and educating that no pop star can match. In a union with much on the line in November, that gets you noticed.