How and Why to Prepare a Run for Office [extra resources and examples included]
It’s hard not to look around and think: Wow. I could do better than this.
From fixing the potholes on your local commute to preventing a trade war, you may be full of ideas on what you would do if you had the power to make change. The question is, how do you even start?
In this blog post, we’ll dive into how you prepare a run for office, from finding your why to guides and resources on building your campaign team, maintaining compliance, and lots more on getting everything in order.
Why should you run for office?
You don’t have to want to be president. In fact, it’s definitely better if your “why” isn’t: “I want to be in power.”
A lot of people who only care about power are empty suits. They might not be bad people or bad candidates, but they don’t center their impact on their community. Your why should come from your relationship with the people you want to serve.
Ultimately, you should be guided by your answer to this question: “What problems do I want to solve?”
Without a clear and solid understanding of your answer, you should not run for office. You can help guide yourself to your “why” with more questions like:
Who am I trying to help?
What level of political involvement do I want?
When will I feel ready?
Where does the jurisdiction I would campaign in have impact?
Why would I give up my seat?
For a comprehensive breakdown of what questions you should ask yourself to avoid being an empty suit, with more questions and including explanations, read the full blog now.
What are some important considerations before running for office?
Running for office isn’t as easy as announcing a candidacy and waiting for voters.
Our top piece of advice: follow the law.
You might be thinking, That’s easy. I was planning on that anyway.
But the truth is, few people who break laws around political campaigning and campaign finance actually intended to break the law. More likely, they were just hardworking people who thought they could manage a campaign themselves, or get a cousin who’s an accountant to just run through the numbers.
It’s not rare, either. People breaking election laws is such a common occurrence that there are tons of enforcement agencies across the US at every level of government specifically for the purpose of investigating election crimes.
Luckily, there are also plenty of people whose job it is to keep your campaign compliant. Don’t leave it up to chance (or your accountant cousin). If you’re serious about a career in politics, you need a compliance professional.
We’re not saying you should go in knowing nothing. It’s always good to know the basics around campaign finance laws, so you have an idea of what to watch out for. But ultimately, you need a treasurer or other campaign compliance professional to keep you on the right side of the law.
Besides compliance, it’s also important to remember that you are a human being living a human life and your entire life changes when you become a politician. Major factors to consider include:
Check out our linked resources above for preparing each of those major aspects of your life for your campaign.
How do you start preparing to run for office?
Now that you’ve thought through the major considerations and you have your why, where do you actually get started? Here’s what to do before you announce your candidacy:
Build your network.
Even if you have no political experience, you probably have a more extensive network than you think. Once you decide to run for office, it’s great to do an “audit” of your relationships and make a list. Figure out who the people are in your life and how they fit into your new political career.
If you also want to make new relationships, informational interviews are a great way to build on your existing network. People love talking about themselves (and politicians are definitely not an exception), and they’re a great way to build personal rapport with people in the industry.
Sort out your personal relationships.
When you run for office, it doesn’t just affect you. From your family to your partner to your friends and even your kids, you need to go in with a plan.
Are the people around you supportive? Supportive enough to help, whether that’s donate or volunteer or introduce you to their network? How public are they willing to be? What’s non-negotiable to them? Have an in-depth conversation with the people in your life and ask them the right questions to prepare for how your campaign will affect them.
Another thing to remember is that working with friends can be so much fun, but it also comes with its own pitfalls. Make sure you know how to navigate friendships on the campaign trail.
And remember: never sacrifice your most precious relationships for the sake of your political career. It will never be worth it.
Know the steps of getting your campaign off the ground.
If you don’t have any political experience, it can be especially daunting to figure out what happens before you announce your candidacy. You can’t just walk into the voting center and ask for your name to be put on the ballot.
It’s important to know the mechanics of running for office so you’re prepared for what’s coming your way. Research what office you’re running for (not all offices will have openings), when the filing period and election dates are, and what paperwork you need.
It’s also good to have a basic plan for what happens after you announce your candidacy. Making a timeline with fundraising deadlines and field goals will help guide your campaign plan. (If you want a headstart, get our FREE guide to making a voter contact timeline now!)
Build your campaign team.
You can’t win this yourself. Every good candidate has an entire team of supporters, from people on your inner staff to the many volunteers who will help you get elected.
Something to consider is what you can do yourself versus what you’ll need to outsource. We’ve already gone over hiring someone to keep your campaign compliant. But there are a lot of other roles that need to be filled.
From keeping your campaign funded to reaching voters, you’ll need to figure out who’s going to manage the day-to-day needs of your campaign. Hiring campaign professionals is one option, political consultants is another.
There are lots of different types of consultants that can manage different aspects of your campaign, from digital strategy to field to fundraising. Once you learn the different types, it’s good to assess your budget, what services you need, and what firms align with your values and needs.
If you’re interested in a political consultant, Evinco Strategies always offers free 15-minute strategy sessions with a professional to determine what would be right for you.
Running for office is hard. But when the right people get elected, it becomes clear how much it was worth it. It’s one of the best opportunities you have to show up for your community and change things for the better, a little bit at a time.
If you’re serious about running for office, don’t hesitate to book a FREE 15-minute strategy session with a professional today! We can walk you through what you need to do next and how we can help you get there.