Campaign Considerations
In addition to the questions presented in an earlier blog post (Answering Key Questions before Deciding to Run – 12/15/18) here are another group of campaign related questions to ask of yourself. They deal with campaigning general and how you and your family will commit to do what it takes to win. As with questions found in earlier blogs, be honest in your answers. To do otherwise, you will doing yourself a disservice since if your answers are overly optimistic you could find your candidacy to be challenged potentially leading to defeat on Election Day.
Will I commit to a credible campaign? If you do run for office, run to win. Plan to give it your all. To do any less harms you and your supporters and contributors. So will you dedicate the necessary time and personal funds to waging a credible campaign? To help you answer, consider how much time you have for campaigning in any given week. Can you devote even more time during the closing weeks of a primary and/or general election? Then ask yourself how much personal money you are willing to put toward launching your campaign, assuming that later contributions would not reimburse you.
Do I have a sense of what I must give up to wage a effective campaign? Everyone’s day has twenty four hours, period. As a candidate you will find giving your candidacy your all at 110% will mandate you relinquish pursuits you enjoy or must undertake. Think about them early on so you can better allocate your limited time during the heat of the campaign. Note one time requirement you must not short change yourself is limiting sleep to free up time for your campaign is getting enough sleep. Remember the old adage “A sleepy candidate is a poor candidate.”
Is asking for help easy for me? Any credible, winning campaign has at its center a candidate who believes in him or herself, one who promotes the candidacy to everyone with confidence, especially to voters. Are you comfortable promoting yourself and asking friends and strangers alike to support you with their time, money, and votes?
How do I handle rejection? As with any sales effort, rejection goes with the territory. In politics it comes from voters and potential contributors. Does the prospect of being rejected bother you? Do you have a thick skin? As a candidate, you can expect to have everything about you criticized, so be honest.
What is the potential political climate? How will contested, up-ballot races affect voter turnout? Will high turnout in the general election help or hinder my candidacy? Will up-ballot candidates from my party help or hinder me? Will political activist groups, like the Tea Party, alter voter mix? Are voters satisfied with the direction of government in general and my district in particular? Or is my community so agitated that change is expected? Might I be a part of that change?
What happens after I win? Assuming the office you seek is part-time, how many hours are devoted to performing duties of the office? For a realistic answer, contact current and/or past office holders, or the top manager in the city, county, or school district in which you may run. Or contact the state association representing the jurisdiction.
Does my family support my decision to run? Anything less than complete support from your family limits your effectiveness as a candidate. So if you decide to run, ask them first if you have their full support.
The Take Away
Now that your answers to the questions listed above along with those from the previous blog, you have a solid basic understanding of your capabilities, interests and the local political climate from which to base a bottom line decision of whether to become a candidate in the next election. See following blogs for assessing your strengths, weaknesses, and, external factors. Once you have answered the myriad of questions in the three blogs along with what you have already covered, you will be ready to make that fateful go/no go decision.
