Running for Office
As I get ready to settle into my city councilor life, I imagine the path that got me here and how hard it’s been managing kids, parents, siblings, my marriage and my career. It hasn’t been easy but I am so excited to serve my residents and even more thrilled to watch my kids engage in government in a way I never thought possible.
I believe in the power of sharing so will share my insight into how I got here and hope this wisdom will help you as you decide whether you want to run for office:
Prepare your Family: We had a family meeting to discuss my running for office - there’s a different attention you get when you are a candidate. It also changes for your family too so having buy-in from the people who are close to you so they are excited is important. When I didn’t have the time and energy to do bedtime with my kids, they always knew that mommy was trying to win city council. And I can’t tell you how much I beamed when my daughter wrote she wanted to be a city councilor when she grew up.
If you are running for office, imagine four areas of expertise you need to be successful: endorsements, communication, field and money. Each of these requires varying skill sets and as you build your kitchen cabinet (strategy team of folks who will help you win), consider finding a person that can help with each one. The communication area is one of the larger ones as it encompasses writing a voters statement, building your social media presence, designing graphics and photos (at least this was for us as we campaigned during COVID). Field is an equally large one in a non-COVID time as you are out knocking doors and targeting your key voters.
Photography: It’s great to start a library of photos that represent you. Whether it’s photos of you in the community or family photos you feel comfortable sharing, make sure to have a diverse set of photos. If this means doing a photo shoot with a friend and having ten outfit changes, I promise it’ll be worth it as you use photos for various purposes in your campaign and in your elected life.
Prepare your Mental Strength: When we released our promotional video on Facebook and promoted it on social media, I got some pretty nasty comments. I knew I would get some hate for running for office but I didn’t imagine that I would need to hide more comments than less. Even as I prepare to get sworn into office, I find it laughable the messages I receive.
It’s been such a learning experience navigating the political arena - I hope some of the tips above will help you and look forward to more individuals running for office.
