Tips for Running for Office as a Staffer
If you are a staffer in a city council or state legislature, you may be thinking about running for office yourself. Unlike those who throw their hat into the ring from outside active politics, or from another elected position, your current role has limitations that your opponents may not face. However, it’s also a launching point, with opportunities that can help you run your best possible campaign.
We discussed running for office as a staffer (and winning!) with someone who knows how it’s done: Representative Adrian Madaro, who currently represents East Boston in the Massachusetts State House. Rep. Madaro was a legislative aide and then Chief of Staff to his predecessor, before running in a 2015 special election to succeed him.
Here is Rep. Madaro’s advice, adapted from our conversation.
Be realistic about what it takes to comply with Ethics Laws
Rep. Madaro took a leave of absence from his position in order to run. It was not mandatory, but ethics laws prevent a public employee from fundraising. This created a dilemma: stay in the job and rely on surrogates for fundraising, which hurts the campaign’s chances (the candidate is a campaign’s most important asset when it comes to raising money); or take a leave and go for months without a paycheck.
“To be the candidate I wanted to be, I had to be a full-time candidate.”
Madaro chose to step down from his job so that he could personally be engaged in every aspect of the campaign. This is not a light decision to make. Bills don’t take a leave of absence, but campaigning all day, especially as a first-time candidate, doesn’t really leave time to keep up with the work of government.
If you are serious about running for an office, be realistic about what trade-offs and sacrifices that will require, and maybe start saving up well in advance so you have that financial cushion.
Know the issues
You may be running against candidates who have taken career paths that play very well in a mailer. The work of a staff position doesn't always lend itself well to flashy self-promotion.
However, it does give you the best possible chance of learning the issues affecting the district.
“I thought of the work in three buckets: constituent services, legislative work, and the budget, and I knew the ins and outs of all three buckets.”
If you’re the candidate in the race who has already worked on legislation specific to the district, that is a great asset; be aware it also means you'll be expected to know your stuff. This offers a competitive advantage in a campaign, because your true knowledge of the issues will come across in debates and in conversations with constituents.
Even if you don’t win the first time you run, you’re also setting yourself up to do better in the future, and gathering knowledge to perform your job even better.
Articulate your value
Particularly if you are running to replace your boss or someone you have worked for in the past, one of the most common questions will be how you differ from them.
“[How I would be different] is something I had to articulate right out of the gate.”
Be prepared to answer where you will offer continuity and where you will take the office in a different direction. You should have several strong policy answers to both.
No one is expecting you to disavow your boss or to pledge you will be a complete replica of them. Constituents want to know who you are, what you believe, and why you should be entrusted with the position, but know that it will likely be framed in media as a contrast.
Be prepared to juggle your hats
If you are running for a different office, like a State House staffer running for City Council, be aware that constituents don’t necessarily care about the distinction. You may be holding an event about your ideas for the city, and a voter will ask about an issue they need help with from the state. Rather than explaining the difference, think about how you can connect with and help that voter with their concern.
Madaro served on his Ward Committee while a staffer and said that, “whether someone asks about federal, state, or city policy, I had the same style and wanted to be a resource.”
As all elected officials and staffers know, the job never really stops.
Prepare for the campaign by working hard for the community
Madaro was out-fundraised by his chief opponent, and credits his win to his long-standing connections to civic groups and activists. This partly came from growing up in the district and having strong roots, and partly from serving as the face of the office for the previous five years.
“I served on the Ward Committee, on the board of several non-profits, and I had helped hundreds of people with constituent issues over 5+ years of working in the office.”
As a staffer running for office, you have the opportunity to demonstrate what you can do in government to help your community. Public employees may not be able to fundraise, but they can certainly meet leaders in their district and impress them with hard work, talent, and collaboration.
Every interaction you have with a constituent over the course of your work is also with a potential future voter. If you do that work well, you’ll start your campaign with a network of friends and supporters who can lift you over whatever obstacles you face.
How Legislata helps
If you’re a staffer, you’re already busy trying to get through the day. Using Legislata can help you power your productivity to get out of the office and onto the campaign trail faster. Get in touch to sign up for the free beta test.