How to Run for Local Office

Jan 16, You—yes, you—should be running for political office. But what You don't have to have 50 years of experience to run a local campaign well.
Table of contents

• Running for a Local Office
• 1 – Considering a Run for Office?
• How to run for office – Things to consider before you run:

When the United States Constitution was ratified in , it became the most important assertion of civic responsibility that democracy had ever seen. Our Founding Fathers knew that democratic government both benefited from manliness and refined it, crafting better men and a better country through public service. Today, running for elected office is still one of the best ways that a man can contribute to society.

There are a lot of men these days that complain about government and lament that the only people holding office, from the local level to the national, are a bunch of lousy, corrupted bums.

But it will stay that way if good men confine their political activity to ranting on the couch. Start making some changes, even small ones, by running for local office. While being a candidate in a local political campaign can be physically and mentally challenging, it is also a personally rewarding opportunity to become more involved in your community.

As a recently elected city councilman, however, I can tell you that if you are a practitioner of traditional manliness, you already possess most of the qualities that a successful political candidate needs.

Here are a few tips for kicking off your campaign the right way and making victory more likely on election day. The first and most important step in launching a successful campaign for local office is discussing it with your family. Even small local political campaigns can be demanding and stressful, and you need to honestly educate your family about the sacrifices that might have to be made during the election season.

Your wife and children will be most affected by any decision you make to run for office, and you need to get their input and consent before making the plunge into a campaign. Making them feel like contributing members of your campaign team—and not just observers on the sidelines—will make your effort more inspired and successful. Make sure you keep your priorities straight. You need to pump it with cash.

Bateson wanted to find ways to raise money for Democrats in her district. So she Googled terms like "Kickstarter politics. Like other sites, Crowdpac which is nonpartisan , ranks candidates on issues and lets you donate. Unlike others, Crowdpac also lets you explore the idea of running for office, without having to commit. It's a simple idea that's worked to grow marketplaces and competition outside of politics.

If you're thinking about creating a dream juicer, there are plenty of places to go to raise money, like Kickstarter.

• 2 – Political Campaign Structure and Organization.
• School District Elections.
• Texas Secretary of State;

But if you think you may want to run for office — be a congressperson — until recently there hadn't been a place online where you could test the waters financially. Bateson recalls sitting at her computer the night of the town hall and feeling seduced by the language on Crowdpac. See what you think.

Maybe share it with some people for feedback. Bateson made a page for herself. It went viral in her district. And emboldened by this strange realization — that people she doesn't even know are willing to give her campaign money — the former professor decided to leave her job and become Candidate Bateson. She and her family have moved backed to the 4th District — and she's just wrapped up her own town hall in Granite Bay, Calif. She's not used to this lifestyle.

1 – Considering a Run for Office?

It's an uphill battle. A senior Democratic Party strategist says "crazier things have happened," but it's a "tough district" and others in California offer "more fertile ground" for the party. Jon Huey, campaign manager for Rep. McClintock's reelection, writes in an email to NPR that "every race in the country is going to be hotly contested because of the temper of the times. Since then, following redistricting, the 4th District includes some of the most conservative counties in the state.

Around the country, a handful of political newbies are doing what Bateson did — including Republicans, third-party hopefuls and even two other Democrats in her district. The San Francisco-based startup makes money by taking a cut from the donations.

There's a ratio of Democrats to Republicans seeking support on Crowdpac. It could also be a network effect — friends telling friends. In other respects, the platform is seeing substantial diversity — with disproportionately high use among women candidates, people under 35, and non-lawyers scientists, doctors and professors. Crowdpac data indicates diversity in candidates. Hilton himself is neither a Democrat nor a Republican.

A former senior adviser to U. Prime Minister David Cameron, Hilton moved to Silicon Valley in recent years and considers himself so independent, he's made up his own label: He hopes to see a "big political realignment" one day. And he says this crowdfunding platform — which lets political outsiders explore first, commit later — is a practical way the tech sector can help bring new blood into the tired business of politics.

Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player. Thinking Of Running For Office? All Tech Considered Think you may want to run for public office?