Candidate University
A Guide for local and State Democratic Political Candidates in the Heartland
Being a political candidate isn't easy. Being a Democratic political candidate in rural Kansas is even harder. Start with a frank discussion with your County level Democrat Central Committee Chair to see what the Party can do to help your campaign. If you decide to run, make sure to gather and use ALL your resources. Don't leave anything on the table.
At first, the information below may seem overwhelming. However, you're in control. Take what you like from these comprehensive resources and make it your own.
FIRST, Know Thyself
The first and most important aspect to becoming a candidate is to know yourself. The more time you spend initially defining yourself, your positions, and your target audiences, the more successful your campaign efforts will be.
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What is your true motivation for running for office? How badly do you want to win? What is your detailed stance on the issues? Why do you have these stances? How well do you do with public speaking? What is your tolerance for criticism? Do you have the time to run for office? What do you think about your potential opponents? Does your family support your efforts? Are you a team builder or a lone wolf? Do you have an appetite for getting down and dirty, or do you wish to stay above the fray? What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses? What are your goals for the future? How well do you know your opponent and his/her stances?
You should have a long chat with yourself, asking these questions and many more, before you ever consider running for office. Truly know yourself.
It also helps to talk over these questions with others who can provide you with valuable insight and opinions. Sometimes others can see things in you that you cannot.
Running for office can be highly rewarding, and can alter your career and personal trajectory in many ways. While you can never truly be prepared for the experience, it will pay to be open and honest with yourself in the beginning.
SECOND, Make a Plan
You need a plan to cover the campaign you want to run, and a plan to obtain the funds you'll need to make it happen.
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Your marketing plan should be fairly comprehensive in strategy, yet flexible in execution. Work diligently on your plan; when the campaign gets into full swing things will become hectic, and a good plan will keep you focused and on-track.
Click here for a fairly flexible and comprehensive sample marketing plan for a local or statewide race. Keep in mind this is just a template; you'll have to customize it to your specific needs.
As far as a funding plan, that one is up to you. Be creative and resourceful, and NEVER hesitate to ask for donations. Many first time candidates have issues with asking for money, but remember that a campaign donation is a way for people to have their voice be heard and participate in a representative democracy. It's as American as apple pie, and people want to help and be heard.
THIRD, Review These Additional Resources...
Finances & Reporting...
KDP Guide to Finances
The Kansas Democratic Party Guide to Finances has a lot of valuable information, so please READ it!
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Additional tips:
Understand compliance.
Always be thinking about the financial and reporting side of things. They are incredibly important and require top of mind awareness. Your opponent will be watching to make sure you follow the law, and will let the public know if you don't.
Get your financial side and your treasurer in place early, so you can start taking donations.
The choice of your treasurer should come down to competency first and foremost. Every candidate wants a treasurer that has name recognition and can bring legitimacy to the campaign, but make sure they can adeptly do the job and keep your campaign on the straight and narrow first of all.
Look at credit unions when shopping for a bank. You may be able to save money. Compare terms and fees.
Although ActBlue is a must for donations, ask for checks whenever possible to save on processing fees.
Keep everything about your campaign separate from your personal life. No co-mingling. EVER. Get receipts for every expenditure.
Be aware of in-kind contributions versus volunteer labor. For instance, if a friend helps you develop a website it is volunteering and not reportable. If a professional marketing firm develops your website without charge, it's an in-kind contribution and is reportable.
Think like a business person and look at Return on Investment (ROI) for every expenditure. No shotgun marketing; always follow your marketing plan and assign value.
More Resources...
Country First Academy
Highly recommended! A project started by Adam Kinzinger, Country First Academy is focused on getting a new generation of candidates into office. They are non-partisan and offer an excellent Learning Library with videos and guides to help you in your efforts. This Learning Library is password protected; the password is FREEDOM , all uppercase.
“Now more than ever we need people of good faith to step up and run for office.
It will take a new generation of leaders to end the toxic tribalism that is
holding our country back from the great things we can achieve together.”
FORMER REP. BARBARA COMSTOCK
Online Candidate Articles
Political Campaign Tips and Strategies. Make sure to peruse the entire collection. Lots of sage advice offered.
Even more resources...
A Practical Guide for Winning Elections
A great article from Indivisible.orgBuilding Trust Across the Political Divide
A surprising bridge, of conflict. By Comment.orgGround Game best way to win elections -VOX
Mountains of rigorous research show that campaigns should be having personal conversations with voters at their doors.Online Candidate
"We make it easy to launch your political campaign’s digital presence quickly and effectively."Online Candidate Resources by OnlineCandidate.com
A great set of tools: Letter & Email Generator, Social Media Post Generator And much morePolitico -Democratic Legislator fights the culture wars by quoting scripture
James Talarico confounds Fox News hosts, fights the culture wars by quoting scripture, and has fellow Democrats talking about his statewide future.Strategies To Win An Election As A Challenger
From the experts at TrailBlazerSoftware Packages for Campaigns (advanced candidates only)
Books worth reading...
