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What You Need to Ask Yourself Before Running

JoyAnna S. Hopper

Campaign School 2023

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  • What do you look for in a public leader?

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What are the ‘must haves’ to run?

  • Integrity
  • Passion
  • Energy
  • Commitment
  • Willingness to engage with people
  • Willingness to learn
  • Willingness to ask for help
  • A thick skin
  • Willingness to make difficult decisions

Adapted from Emily’s List: “Who Should Run for Office?”

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  • What qualities or qualifications do you already possess?
  • Things you’d like to work on?

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Who feels qualified?

  • Women feel less qualified than men to run for office
    • Men self-indicate that they are “qualified” for political office 65% more often than women, even when women are equally or more qualified
    • Women face other barriers getting to the ballot

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  • While Black Americans are just as likely (or more likely) than White Americans to show political ambition, they face disproportionate barriers getting to the ballot

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  • Democracy requires adequate representation. Democracy is more effective when it is as diverse as the people our institutions represent.

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Where to start? Research

  • Even if you are actively involved in your community and political spaces, there is a considerable amount of introspection and evaluations of your environment that you need to perform.
    • What are your strengths/weaknesses? What are the issues that are most important to you? Be able to describe these clearly.
      • Google yourself! What is already out there?
    • Review polls, agendas/minutes from public government meetings, letters to the editor, etc. to understand what concerns and motivates voters.
    • Which voters should you target?

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Where to start? Research

  • What are the relevant rules, deadlines, etc.?
  • What position am I interested in running for? Do I understand what the position entails? What are the specific qualifications?

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Other personal questions

  • How will this affect my family? Are they on board? What if things go negative?
  • What is my financial situation? Can I afford to run for office? How much can I personally contribute?
    • Cost is highly dependent on type of race, level of race, etc.
  • Professional questions: Time off work? Support of colleagues?

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Political questions

  • Do I understand my community?
    • Demographics, politics, traditions, culture
  • Can I win?
    • Political landscape, timing, partisan/non-partisan race, opponent
  • Who makes up my network? Are these individuals trustworthy? Reliable?

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  • Which of these questions are the most pressing for you? How will that shape your plan of action moving forward?

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“Win or lose, you will emerge from the process a different person, a leader within your community.”

(Shaw, Catherine. 2014. The Campaign Manager: Running and Winning Local Elections. 5th ed. Boulder, CO: Westview Publishing, 383.)