There are many reasons people choose to run for public office. Some of these are altruistic and based on a desire to genuinely make a difference while others are entirely ego-driven. All candidates should have a 25 word "I'm running because..." that articulates their public reasons for running. This is carefully crafted and is usually not the real reason a candidate is running. So why do people run?
Read MoreWhen starting your fundraising operations you want to pick the “low hanging fruit” first. This means finding and targeting the people most likely to give you money with the least amount of effort. Friends, family, co-workers are your best targets. These people know you personally and presumably like you. While many will say “no,” this group has the highest probability of saying “yes” and should be the first phone calls you make to raise money.
Read MoreMost candidates run to win. However, unless you run a technically flawless campaign your odds are slim. 95% of incumbents get re-elected. Even good challengers sometimes lose, but the ones who make the simple mistakes stand no chance. While most candidates want to win the race they're running for, there are a number of times where a candidate will run in an unwinnable race.
Read MoreAfter you decide to run, you have to convince everyone that you are a viable candidate to win the election. Friends and family must be convinced if they are going to give you their hard earned money. Volunteers and activists must be convinced if they are going to give you their valuable time. Party officials must be convinced so that they do not work against you.
Read MoreMany candidates decide to jump into a race without assessing their prospects. They see an opening and dive in head first. These are usually the candidates driven by ego who want to see their name in the paper, and these candidates usually fail. With this in mind, here are a few questions to help you decide if you are running for the right office or at the right time.
Read MoreEvery day thousands of people would come by Obama campaign offices around the country asking for yard signs. It was common on the Obama campaign to hear staffers utter the phrase "Yard signs don't vote." What this means is that people want signs to stick in their yard so they can feel like they're involved in the race, but their signs don't actually do anything.
Read MoreIn states where it is allowed, it is standard practice in politics to challenge your opponent's petition signatures in an attempt to get them below the minimum needed to appear on the ballot. Why face them in an election if you can prevent them from ever appearing on the ballot?
Read MoreMany candidates are unaware of what’s needed to get on the ballot. They assume that after they file paperwork to run they are automatically on the ballot. In actuality, in order to get on the ballot, requirements vary from state to state.
Read MoreWhen most people think about a political fundraiser rubber chicken dinners come to mind. Lately campaigns have moved away from mediocre sit-down dinners and instead serve cocktails and finger food. A cocktail reception is a very common and often successful type of fundraiser, but it isn’t the only one.
Read MoreVolunteers are the lifeblood of a campaign. They freely give of their time to help you do often tedious work. Campaigns wouldn’t succeed without them. Whether it is the little old lady stuffing envelopes and making calls or the 14 year old doing data entry, there needs to be a place on your campaign for EVERY PERSON who wants to help you. Everyone should have a role that caters to their skills, interests and expertise.
Read MoreMany parents give their children unfortunate or hilarious names. Some of those children grow up to run for office. However, having a memorable name can work to your advantage when Election Day rolls around. Dick Swett was repeatedly elected to Congress by the people of New Hampshire. Here is a selection of some of our favorite candidate names and the outcome of their elections.
Read Morehen writing their official biographies, it happens with disturbing regularity that candidates mention their pets by name but neglect to mention their children by name. The first few times I saw this, I was shocked. Now, it's something I specifically look for when helping candidates write their bios.
Read MoreA famous political consultant used to say “In a tsunami, a lot of shit gets washed up on shore.” After meeting Members of Congress one often scratches their head as to how in the hell they got elected in the first place. The reality is that no matter how awful a candidate is, if they have certain skills they can increase their chances of success exponentially.
Read MoreIt is standard practice for campaigns to have a slogan. With people’s short attention span you really have to distill your message into a few concise words that describe who you are and why you’re running. A good slogan tells the voter everything they need to know in less than 9 words. Great slogans do it in way less.
Read MoreCandidates often find it difficult to navigate the intersection of religion and politics during their campaigns. Many candidates are religious and think that other followers of their denomination should be an easy target for votes. They are often unaware that churches risk losing their tax exempt status by engaging in partisan politics...Here are some helpful tips for courting religious voters.
Read MoreCandidates for office need to weave together a compelling narrative that answers the question of why they are seeking public office. In American public life, certain aspects of a person’s background can help them build for election, while others can be an impediment to the campaign.
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