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Overview
Get ready to run for—and win—that local election!
In the land of opportunity, just about anyone who qualifies as an elector can seek public office. Some do it on a whim, some are urged to run, and some want to use their time and talents to make a difference in their local community.
If you want to know how to prepare for a run, which steps to take beforehand, and how the process goes from announcement to campaigning to election day to the swearing-in ceremony—this book has you covered.
- Find out what it’s like
to run for local office as a first-time candidate
Though only one person ultimately wins a seat, nobody does it without a wide network of support. Running For Local Office For Dummies is your ticket to navigating every step on the road to winning that election.
You want to ensure that your run for office is successful. This Cheat Sheet provides some tips on campaigning, including preparing for a local political campaign by working on your name recognition, public reputation, and campaign finances. You also need to make sure that you have some important assets in place, like a campaign manager, volunteers, and voter lists.
About The Author
Dan Gookin is an author, online instructor, and a fiscal conservative yet socially liberal politician who believes his first duty as an elected official is to protect your rights.
Articles From The Book
3 results
Political Careers
Articles
Beyond asking individuals for money, you must supplement your political campaign with other sources of income. The most obvious source is the traditional meet-and-greet fundraiser. Less obvious avenues for obtaining donations also are available, all of which are legal. ©By Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com
Put on a meet-and-greet fundraiser
A meet-and-greet event has two purposes.
Political Careers
Articles
Political campaigns benefit from branding. Smart candidates coordinate their campaign materials with a unified theme. Successful branding can help make your name and message “pop” among the voters.
The best political branding in recent memory is the O logo from Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. It was marketing genius, since imitated but never equaled.
Political Careers
Articles
When you're campaigning for local office, access to voter data and the creation of voter lists are essential to your success. Everyone's personal voting record is held in confidence; whom they voted for is private, and they mark the ballot anonymously. The fact that someone voted, however, is a public record. Further, information about voter registration is available to anyone who asks.
Political Careers
Articles
The negative campaign seems to be an American tradition, but what does negative campaigning really mean? You hear the terms attack ads and mudslinging. Often, they apply to anything critical.Most negative campaign material is based in fact. It’s only that the target doesn’t like the facts pointed out that makes things seem “negative.
Political Careers
Articles
Candidate forums and debates when you're campaigning for local office aren’t the drama you see in the movies. In fact, holding such forums isn’t as common as you might think. Most of these events are rather dreary, attended by people who’ve already made up their minds and lacking in any gotcha moments or campaign-ending events.
Political Careers
Articles
You want to ensure that your run for office is successful. This Cheat Sheet provides some tips on campaigning, including preparing for a local political campaign by working on your name recognition, public reputation, and campaign finances. You also need to make sure that you have some important assets in place, like a campaign manager, volunteers, and voter lists.
Political Careers
Articles
It’s surprising how many people don’t know that holding elected office is like taking on a part-time job. Approach campaigning for a public office as you would a typical job search. You start with the job description and job requirements. Remember, holding a public office is a consistent commitment that can last several years.
Political Careers
Articles
For a small number of politicians, asking for money is no big deal. They’re very good at it. For the majority, asking for money is embarrassing and awkward. It seems dirty, especially in a culture that appreciates entrepreneurs and self-made millionaires. Yet the secret to political fundraising is to ask, and ask you must.
Political Careers
Articles
Your political campaign is a short-term, one-goal business. To make it successful, you must be smart about its finances. Part of being an elected official is to watch government spending and control a budget (even if this is not part of your platform). Start by setting an example with your own campaign.
You may have a treasurer who manages the campaign money for you, though most local-office candidates manage their own funds.
Political Careers
Articles
Without a doubt, a social media presence during a political campaign helps increase your exposure to the voters. The big question is social media’s relevance in a small race for local office: Will it affect the outcome?The good news is that social media is well-known and incurs only time as an expense. It costs nothing to set up accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and similar sites.
Political Careers
Articles
Yard signs are a good way to spread your campaign brand, have supporters show their enthusiasm, and make your opponents nervous. Yard signs are an essential part of your campaign marketing, but by themselves they don’t win elections.
Invest in yard signs as part of your campaign strategy.
Don’t bother counting your opponent’s yard signs, because elections are won by votes and not the number of yard signs littering lawns and highways.