Run for Elected Office—and Win

Run for Elected Office—and Win

Released December 2011
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781430237983

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Book description

The list of challenges facing society is endless. Numerous financial and social problems affect the world and individual countries. And they also affect states, counties, cities, and even school districts and neighborhood policy councils. It's time for fresh thinking and new ideas in the public arena; it's time for more civic-minded people to get involved by running for—and winning—elected office.

Run for Elected Office—and Win shows you how. It is designed to help readers make a positive impact on the world and in the communities in which they live. It starts with how to make a decision to run for a particular office and ends with how to proceed with a successful political career—and it covers everything else in between. This book helps readers:

  • Learn the ins and outs of winning an election—from an author who's done it!

  • Understand how to plan and schedule a political campaign

  • Employ the power of social media in gaining name recognition

  • Learn how much money it takes to run a campaign and what it really takes to win

What you'll learn

  • Which office best suits your talents and interests

  • Where and how to file

  • How to plan and run your campaign, and how to raise money

  • How to market yourself through traditional and Web-based social media

  • How to build a staff and recruit a team of volunteers

  • How to hone your message and manage the issues

  • What to do when you win

  • How to recover and forge ahead if you lose

    • Who this book is for

    The book is a must-read for anyone serious about running for office. In any given election, there are 60,000 to 90,000 positions open in the United States. The number may be even higher if one accounts for school board elections, special political districts and boards, etc. This book is also for anyone angry about the current state of the political landscape and looking for ways to take charge.

    Table of contents

    1. Title
    2. Dedication
    3. Contents
    4. About the Author
    5. Acknowledgments
    6. Introduction
    7. Chapter 1: Run for It Why the Future Depends on You
      1. Why the Future Depends on You
      2. America Needs Public Servants, Not Career Politicians
      3. Reasons to Run
      4. Characteristics of the People We Need in Office
      5. Political Parties and What They Promise Won’t Save Us
      6. Conclusion: Don’t Wait for an Open Seat!
    8. Chapter 2: Pinpoint Your Passion Passion: A Requirement for Running
      1. Passion and Office: Match-Up Quiz
      2. Choose a Starting Position
      3. Choose a Position You’ll Enjoy
      4. How’s Your Stamina?
      5. Why Are You Really Running?
      6. Conclusion
    9. Chapter 3: Pick the Position
      1. What to Expect When Running for or Holding Elected Office
      2. What Position Will You Pursue?
      3. Ensure the Position Is a Good Fit for Your Passion and Skills
      4. Identify the Election Cycle and Length of Service
      5. Pick the Position
      6. Conclusion
    10. Chapter 4: Decide to Party or Be Non-Partisan
      1. Partisan and Non-Partisan Positions
      2. Your Party Affiliation Decision
      3. Political Parties in the United States of America
      4. Not Always a Political Party
      5. Party Affiliation? Pros and Cons
      6. Non-Partisan: Some Definitions
      7. Conclusion
    11. Chapter 5: File to Run
      1. Choose Your Treasurer and File Your Paperwork
      2. Locate Election Offices
      3. Understand the Legalities
      4. Know the Sunshine Laws
      5. Choose Your Campaign Team
      6. Be Prepared Before Announcing Your Candidacy
      7. Conclusion
    12. Chapter 6: Run: Create Campaign Plans
      1. Formulate the Big Picture
      2. Create a Strategic Plan
      3. Create a Campaign Calendar
      4. Campaign Manager Tasks
      5. Fill Out the Rest of Your Campaign Team
      6. Find Volunteers
      7. No Campaign Plan? Plan to Lose Your Race
      8. Conclusion
    13. Chapter 7: Run: Hone Your Message
      1. What’s Your Platform?
      2. What Do You Want to See Changed?
      3. Who’s Your Base Voter?
      4. Be Honest
      5. Publishing Position Pieces
      6. Candidate Surveys
      7. Issue Management
      8. Framing Your Opponent(s)
      9. Polling
      10. No Campaign Message? Plan to Lose Your Race
      11. Conclusion
    14. Chapter 8: Run: Raise Money
      1. How Much Money Will It Take to Get the Word Out and Win?
      2. Your Treasurer Is Not Your Fundraising Chair
      3. What to Look For in Your Fundraising Chair
      4. Create a Budget and Stick to It
      5. Building Fundraising Momentum: Endorsements and Money
      6. Hard Money, Soft Money, and In-Kind Contributions
      7. Tools to Raise Money
      8. Make the Money “Asks”
      9. Strategies and Limits
      10. Conclusion
    15. Chapter 9: Run: Create Campaign Literature
      1. Make Your Point Clearly
      2. Make Your Point Accessible
      3. Build Name Recognition with Literature
      4. Control Your Campaign Message
      5. Get Endorsements
      6. Sample Candidate Card Content
      7. No Campaign Literature? Plan to Lose Your Race
      8. Conclusion
    16. Chapter 10: Run: Employ Traditional Campaign Media
      1. Tried and Not Always True
      2. The Science of Campaigning
      3. How to Talk to Reporters
      4. Create Press Releases
      5. Getting Coverage
      6. The Twenty-First Century Media Reality
      7. Prepare Yourself and Your Message for Media
      8. No Media Plan? What Now?
      9. Conclusion
    17. Chapter 11: Run: Employ Online and Social Media
      1. Create a Website
      2. Decide How to Use Social Media
      3. Use Facebook
      4. Tweet Often on Twitter
      5. Join LinkedIn and Others
      6. Use Email
      7. No Social Media in Motion?
      8. Using the Web as a Research Tool
      9. Conclusion
    18. Chapter 12: Run: Work Face-to-Face
      1. What You Wear Matters as Much as What You Say
      2. Make the Most of Your Personality and Intelligence
      3. Work a Room
      4. Make a Speech
      5. Participate in a Debate
      6. Work the Fair or Event Circuit
      7. Create Your Own Event Circuit
      8. Go Door-to-Door
      9. On-the-Spot, Impromptu Meetings
      10. Sparring with Opponents
      11. Responding to Attacks
      12. Recovering from Gaffes and Mistakes
      13. Making the Most of Volunteers
      14. The Last Days of the Campaign
      15. Didn't Work the Crowd? You've Made It Hard to Win
      16. Conclusion
    19. Chapter 13: Win
      1. Be Prepared for the Responsibility That Falls on Your Shoulders
      2. What Can You Expect on the Job
      3. What Can You Expect in Your Personal Life?
      4. Why “Part-Time” Positions Are Rarely Part-Time
      5. Working with Your New Staff
      6. Deliver on Your Promises
      7. Use the Skills You Gained on the Campaign Trail
      8. Associations and Other Information Sources
      9. Keeping the Structure Alive for a Future Race
      10. Conclusion
    20. Chapter 14: Lose
      1. Learn from Hindsight
      2. Gear Up to Run Again
      3. How Long Does It Take to Recover from Losing a Race?
      4. Questions to Help You Determine What You Learned
      5. Clean Up and Close Out Your Campaign
      6. Keeping the Structure Alive for a Future Race
      7. Conclusion
    21. Chapter 15: To Run Again—or Not?
      1. Decision Criteria You Can Use to Determine Whether to Run Again
      2. Do You Still Have Your Passion?
      3. Gearing Up to Run Again
      4. Gearing Down to Purge the Urge
      5. Conclusion
    22. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Run for Elected Office—and Win
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: December 2011
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781430237983