How To Run For Office And Win…

By Nikki Slusher

It’s officially less than one year until midterm elections are going to be held, which means now is the time for candidates to file by deadline and ramp up their campaigns. Every seat in the US House of Representatives, most state house seats, local elections, and some senatorial races will all be on the ballots next November. After dedicating most of my last eight years in the field of campaign management and consulting, I have decided to share some of my knowledge with our readers who are considering a run for office with hopes that this may help run a successful campaign.

Let’s get started. There are a few key components to consider when deciding whether or not to run for office. This article will cover basic minimum requirements, filing deadlines, fundraising, grassroots canvassing, and some pro-tips which are the foundational framework in achieving a win.

The first step to complete in this process is deciding what type of seat you want to run for and the minimum requirements for eligibility. There are three levels of government: local, state, and federal. Local government includes municipal seats like city and county councils, school board districts, police chief, sheriff, county clerk, judge, district attorney, and mayor. While these races tend to not garner the same attention as state and federal offices, the local level is where you can make the most impact on your community.

For state seats, there’s attorney general, state department secretaries, governor, judicial seats, and state house and senate seats. These seats tend to be seen as resume builders for most who aspire to move into more powerful positions at the federal level. Finally, federal races which tend to be the most prominent include both the US House of Representatives and the Senate; and of course, the office of the president but that’s not one I’ll be discussing for obvious reasons.

Once you know what type of office you want to run for it’s time to begin part two – researching the minimum requirements. We have certain laws that have defined rules and regulations for running for different offices. Most have eligibility requirements such as minimum age and being a US citizen. For example, most state and all federal house seats require candidates to be 25 years of age and living within certain parameters of the district while running for president requires you to be 35 years old, being born in the US, and having resided in the country for the last 14 consecutive years. Most judicial and legal offices require one to have a legal degree; however, some may not like in Texas where certain bench seats like county judge do not require any legal background. It all depends on where you are running and varies state-by-state.

Majority of offices require candidates to obtain a certain number of signatures to even be eligible to run. Some localities may require people to get 5,000 to 25,000 signatures to be submitted by a certain date in order to continue to be in the race and have their names on the ballot. This also varies by office levels and states. Filing deadlines are no joke – you must comply with these or else you can kiss your campaign goodbye. Another aspect of filing deadlines involves campaign finances. These will need to be filed monthly with the state you reside in and must follow federal laws or else you will absolutely be removed from the race. Everyone who fails to comply with these rules gets penalized, and always get caught so it’s best to avoid any irregularities. In my own opinion, it is best to enter all necessary data and documents immediately.

This leads me to my next point – fundraising. If there’s any part of this article that you take away after reading is that money makes the world (and campaign) go around. Do you have to outraise opponents or spend a billion dollars to win a race? Not at all. That’s why America has “free and fair” elections. But does money increase your chances of winning? Absofrickinglutely. There’s an abundance of resources out there to help minimize campaign costs, but you are still going to need funding to help pay for items like literature, canvassing and fundraising apps, campaign gear, advertising, and your team’s salaries. You could decide to do it all by yourself with volunteers and manually record everything, but I do not recommend this method if you are serious about winning the election.

Fundraising scares most people; however, it should be one of your top focuses. You can either reach out to organizations and businesses for endorsements and donations, or you can rely on donations from constituents. A combination of both is preferable. You want to have unionized professional groups, small businesses, and certain companies to endorse and donate to you as it makes you a more viable selection to the average voter. This makes you seem trustworthy and legitimate.

Constituent support is also a major priority if you want to be successful. Yard signs and literature (the little flyers that tell you about a candidate) are extremely important in helping get your name out there. If you have 60% of your district with yard signs for you in their front lawns, chances are you will attain 60% of the votes in the district. Research has shown time and time again that the more recognizable a candidate’s name is increases the chances of a voter selecting them at the ballot box. Nationally, Democratic candidates have been more successful in fundraising as they can pull in money from out of state supporters but lose their election (i.e. Beto O’Rourke in 2018 and Jaime Harrison in 2020). While any donation is a good donation, just because you can get donations from out of your district doesn’t necessarily reflect your constituents’ views or support which are the only two things that’ll matter when it comes to voting.

This leads to my final point on selecting a team and organizing a grassroots movement. Research has also shown that grassroots canvassing is one of the top reasons as to why candidates win. A grassroots campaign team is organized of about five to ten people plus a field director/campaign manager who are full-time in the field (aka the community) knocking on voters’ doors to talk to them about your platform. I recommend trying to maintain some form of a campaign manager with an experienced team to help you be more effective and efficient in getting your message out into the community. Volunteers are also important but remember that they’re not paid so they won’t be as eager to walk in July when it’s 100 degrees; however, a canvasser being paid will knock doors regardless of weather or exhaustion. Also, you want to hit as many houses as possible and the best way to ensure you do is hiring people who do this for a living. Trust me, we know what we’re doing and someone with no experience does not.

You will always get a few people who will be aggravated you knocked on their door, but the overall number of impactful conversations you and your team have with voters will outweigh any of the negatives. When dealing with these types of voters simply thank them for their time and gracefully leave to avoid any controversy; remember that everyone has doorbells with video/audio recordings, and you never know who you are speaking to. Your opponents will take any opportunity they can to try and make themselves look better in the public’s eye even if that means ruining your reputation.

Talking to constituents and understanding their priorities/concerns shows you as a relatable member of the community and can even persuade some votes from opposing parties. Networking with different groups in your community also helps you connect with potential donors and voters while expanding your platform. You’re finally officially ready to run for office! Most importantly, have fun and remember why you want to be an elected official. You want to make a positive change for your community, not create a thousand challenges. I hope this tutorial helps any aspiring politicians out there run for office successfully.

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