First Time Candidate? Tips for Running a Small Campaign
Alicia DelVento campaigns in the 19th Suffolk District
When you think of a political campaign, the first image to come to mind might be the sprawling, nationwide Presidential elections or a heated Senate race drawing in millions of out-of-state dollars. However, the vast majority of offices are held at the local level, which means the vast majority of campaigns are small in scope.
If you’re thinking about running for office for the first time, chances are you need to build a small but efficient operation. Here are some tips on getting started.
Be realistic about commitment
Running for office is a full-time job. Unfortunately, money is too often a limiting factor regarding who can run for office. Especially as a first-time candidate, “building the plane as you fly” is going to take all of your energy, and probably a lot of your money too.
If you have a demanding job, consider a leave of absence or strict part-time boundaries. Ideally, you can start saving in advance, and/or find a part-time source of income that works for you.
Note also that if you are a staffer or have another job in government, many states have ethics laws prevent public employees from fundraising. Relying on surrogates to fundraise will almost inevitably hurt your campaign, especially as a first-time candidate with little name recognition. A leave of absence may be your best bet. So be aware that you may not only have to fund the start of your campaign, you may also have to save up for months where you can’t be at work.
Mentally prepare
Running for office (and holding office) typically requires a pretty thick skin. A state representative once said “it’s better to be sworn in than sworn at,” but most candidates can only be guaranteed of the latter.
As a first-time candidate, people will question your experience and ability to hold office. Before launching your campaign, write down your reasons for running, why you know you can do it, and specific things you want to achieve for your community. Write down the meaningful words and moments that got you here. These will serve as reminders for why you’re doing this after 8 hours of holding signs and knocking on doors, wondering why you ever thought this was a good idea.
Know that most first-time candidates don’t win, but that won’t mean your run was a failure. Running for office is a crash course, and will give you a level of experience that’s simply hard to imagine when starting out – but know that you’ll be infinitely more prepared should you choose to run again.
Assemble your inner circle
Proudly tell your friends, family, and closest co-workers that you’ve decided to run. Even if they don’t know the first thing about politics, they’re probably going to be excited and ready to help.
This is the beginning of your “kitchen cabinet.” These should be people who you trust, who believe in you, and who make you feel secure and supported.
Begin gauging what kind of work they are able to take on, whether it’s gathering signatures, hosting a fundraiser, setting up endorsement interviews, or reaching out decisively in their network. It can feel a little scary at first, but it’s essential that you get comfortable making clear “hard asks.” The labor of your inner circle is invaluable, and you’re unlikely to succeed without it. They want you to win, but need to know you need them to do so! It’s best practice to meet with your core group of supporters every week or two, keeping them in the loop and accountable to what they’ve agreed to do.
Finance first
Ideally, your first hire is a consultant who knows the ins and outs of fundraising and compliance. This person should be first in, last out. Generally, if you are going to work with consultants, talk to as many trusted people as possible to research the best fit for you. A good finance consultant is an important splurge, and should put your mind at ease regarding ethics and compliance.
Money goes quickly on a campaign, and having someone mind the budget is a must. Crucially, this person will also hold you accountable to your “call time” -- AKA, asking everyone you know for money. Fundraising should be about ~¾ of your calls (the rest being political) and is essential to winning, but is many candidates’ least favorite part of running.
If you have to go it alone, at the very least make sure someone in your inner circle has a clear understanding of compliance (remember, always be asking for help!). There are a variety of resources available online for creating a campaign budget. Campaign donation history is public by law, so for a jumping off point, look at your state’s records of how much people in the position you’re running for raised in the past to give you a sense of what is a realistic target.
A note on money: if you’re out-raised and out-spent, stay focused. Passionate volunteers, genuine grassroots engagement, a strong message, policy knowledge, and a good standing in the community can absolutely make up the difference.
Choose a Campaign Manager
For a small campaign, you might only be able to hire one full-time staff member. Generally, you should think about your campaign manager as a partner who complements your existing skills.
Since you’re running on a small dollar budget, your campaign manager is probably not an expert in every element of campaigning. However, they should have strength in at least one or two areas, and be a learner. For a small campaign, where ground game could make all the difference, consider picking a campaign manager with a strong background in field organizing. Your first field task together is likely to be collecting signatures – to make sure you’re actually on the ballot – and then growing your supporter network from there. If your background is in field operations, then a finance-first manager who can help raise money could be the best choice.
Make sure your inner circle gets to know your campaign manager – a CM must be able to take delegation and volunteer management off your plate.
You might need more consultants
You and your campaign manager will likely be responsible for field, data, communications, and political outreach and endorsements. It’s a lot of work – and will only grow as your time gets more devoted to calls, doors, and events. If the two of you are struggling– for example with messaging or direct mail – work with the finance consultant to evaluate your options for consultants. Scope can vary greatly: you could hire someone for a one-off piece of mail, or you may want help with overall vison and strategy.
A good consultant will come well-recommended and with references, be up front in writing about their scope of work and pay, and should be able to offer a few interesting ideas about your campaign after your first conversation. The number and price of consultants will vary with the size of your campaign. But the goal is that they help you with a crucial part of the campaign that can’t be done by yourself or a volunteer in an effective manner. As long as you can justify the cost to your closest supporters, then it could be a worthwhile investment.
"Is this a good use of my time?”
It's so easy to get distracted or down. Especially with social media, it’s tempting to watch a Twitter war play out or to read negative comments in a Facebook group. However, for the next weeks or months, the core question every minute of every day is: “is this a good use of my time?”
See our piece on staying healthy during GOTV for relevant tips, including cutting back on social media, self-care and routine, and utilizing block scheduling.
Another example of evaluating time spent: endorsement surveys and interviews suck up a lot of time. It feels terrible to sink hours into a process, only to have an organization quickly endorse a candidate everyone already knew they would. Make sure to prioritize endorsements you actually want, not reinvent the wheel, and work any connections you might have. Endorsements bring money and volunteers, but you get those on your own too. If you find yourself putting a lot of time into any one part of the campaign without much return, work with your CM to reprioritize and maximize your time.
To campaign effectively, put your blinders up and focus on what you can control. If you’re feeling dejected, return to words of affirmation from supporters, your reasons for running, and your vision. Democracy depends on people getting involved – but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy.
How Legislata helps
Legislata is non-partisan productivity software for politics. It is not exclusively campaigning software, but can be used to supercharge your email, manage your campaign’s tasks, and build a database of contacts. It may be of use on a campaign and will certainly help you in office if you win. Sign up to be alerted when our beta test opens.