20 Things you need to do to get elected

By Rodney Statham

In the book, the author explains the most difficult tasks of a campaign in a simple way so anyone can understand. You will learn how to calculate your vote goal, where to find the voters, how to raise money, how to deal with the media and most importantly how figure out how much time and volunteers you will need to complete everything.

This book is unique from other campaign books in that the author discusses the three attributes every winning campaign needs (money, name recognition, endorsements) and show you how to get all three for yourself. This method is called the 3 Pillars of Candidacy. The author breaks down these attributes and shows you how to examine yourself to see if you have strength in one of them. He goes further to show you how to gain all three when you only have strength in one attribute. A easy to read flow chart is included to guide you along the path to get the three attributes, which would mean certain victory. In short, if you are a political novice and looking to do it right the first time, this is the book for you.

The book contains chapter after chapter of strategies and methods that have proven to place your campaign in the best position to win. Of course, there are more than 20 Things you need to do in a campaign, but once you start to follow the chapters you will be organized and have a plan to win. You can use the book as a reference. After each chapter, there is a place to take notes or write your thoughts down. There is a “campaign checklist” that you can take from the book to keep with you anywhere you go to make sure you stay focused and are remembering the important steps from each chapter.

If you need a more clear vision of how to overcome obstacles in your campaign or to put your campaign back on the path to victory, then this is the book for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rodney Statham
• Release date: Jul 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9780999068618

Book preview

PREFACE

After running a few campaigns and seeing the same problems with candidates and hearing the same questions over and over, I decided to write this book to help educate people about what it would take to win an election.

Let me be the first to congratulate you on your decision to run for public office. Political campaigns can be very challenging. They may also be very emotional because some issues may be personal to you or your family. However, when you win, it will be worth the time, effort, and sacrifice you have made. You will forge deep and long-lasting relationships with those who worked with you on your campaign. Those people might end up working for you as your new staff when you take office.

Running for public office is not to be taken lightly. You will go from being a private citizen one day to being in the public eye overnight. It is a decision that should be discussed with your immediate family because everyone will be under the microscope of public scrutiny. Your longtime relationships with friends or colleagues, as well as your financial background, will be examined by the public and the media.

If you are running for office for a noble reason, regardless of the outcome, it will be worth the effort. Your presence in the race has positive effects such as highlighting a particular policy issue in your community or letting the established incumbents know that the status quo is no longer acceptable.

The following chapters are not in any particular order. They are activities that you should do to have the best possible chance for victory.  There are different styles and methods of running for office. If you bought this book, I assume you are a candidate looking for a place to start your campaign or a novice campaign manager who wants to make sure you are doing the right things. These tips will help show you what you should be doing. Feel free to write down notes as you read the book after each chapter.

Good luck to you!

INTRODUCTION

The Three Pillars of Candidacy

In reviewing the campaigns of candidates who win and those who lose, I find that you need three things in your favor during a campaign: money, endorsements, and name recognition. The more you have of one of those attributes, the better. If you can concentrate on having an abundance of one of those attributes, then the others will follow. If you are able to have all three, victory will be assured.

Definition of Money:

Money that comes from donors or money that you lend to yourself.

Money is what will drive your campaign. You must guide it in the right direction and allow it to get you more of what you may be lacking, such as endorsements and name recognition, which will translate into votes.

Questions you should ask yourself:

❖  How much money can I put into my own race?

❖  Can I loan myself the money or will I need to raise the full amount from donors?

❖  Even if I can afford to finance the race on my own, will it make me more relatable to voters if I can raise money from other sources?

If you plan to use your own money but you are not well known to the community or the political establishment, then you can use your money to buy name recognition and political endorsements.

What you lack in name recognition can be made up by spending money on advertisements and mail pieces so people can get to know who you are and what you are about. Consistently sending mail to voters will allow them to become familiar with you and your campaign by seeing your name, face, and where you stand on certain policy issues.

You can curry favor from the political establishment through donations and the support of their causes and issues. The elected officials will want to get to know you because you and your family can donate to the political party or you can donate directly to their campaigns and causes. You will also become admired by the party leaders if you can donate money to help other candidates on the ballot. This is a good way to start banking favors from politicians that may support you now. Those favors are something you may be able to use once you are elected into office.

Once you have a series of political endorsements, you can promote your name in the community by advertising and mailing directly to the voters telling them who has endorsed you. The voters will see that you have a legitimate campaign if someone they know and like is endorsing you for office, especially if the endorsement comes from a politician of importance or popularity in the community.

Definition of endorsements:

The backing and support you receive from other elected officials, community leaders, groups and organizations.

If you are well known inside political circles but not as well known within the community, then you can use your connections to get better name recognition and money. Perhaps you are a longtime political aide or family member of a politician or a community activist who has engaged politicians in the past on issues. These are just some examples of ways you could be familiar with politicians but not be well known to the constituency at large.

If a politician endorses you, the endorsement should come with an offer of help for your campaign. That help is sometimes in the