Section 1
Know the Job
First, find out what you're signing up for.
Running for office and holding office are two different jobs. Before deciding whether to become a candidate, find out what the position actually involves.
Start with the basics.
- What decisions does this office make?
- What responsibilities come with it?
- How much authority does one officeholder actually have?
And don't confuse the official job description with the real workload. A position labeled part-time may still require substantial preparation, meetings, constituent contact, and public appearances.
The question isn't simply whether you care about the issues. It's whether you want to do the work this particular office requires.
What can you actually change?
Find out what the office controls, what it influences, and what it has absolutely no power to do.
For example, a school board may vote on budgets and district policies, but an individual board member generally cannot direct school employees. Authority often belongs to the governing body collectively, and the details vary by jurisdiction.
See the job in action
Read several recent agendas and minutes. Better yet, watch a public meeting.
What do officeholders spend their time discussing? What decisions do they make? How much of the work happens outside meetings?
One question worth asking yourself
Would you still want this job if nobody ever saw you campaigning for it?
What Nobody Tells You
Campaigning gets the attention. Governing gets the paperwork. Make sure you're interested in both.
Run File 01: Office Brief
OptionalRecord what the office does, what it can and cannot control, its likely workload, one thing that surprised you, and whether the work still interests you.
Section 2
Know the Race
Understand the race you're being asked to enter.
Before you decide whether to run, find out what you're walking into.
Look at previous election results, the political makeup of the district, and who you're likely to face.
- Is there an incumbent?
- How strong is their position?
- Is the seat open?
- Has the district been competitive?
Don't rely entirely on someone else's assessment that the race is winnable or impossible.
And if someone is recruiting you, ask why.
- They may believe you can win.
- They may want to build support for future elections.
- Or they may simply need someone on the ballot.
Those are different propositions.
Read the election history
Look at several comparable elections. Check turnout, winning margins, and how results changed between presidential, midterm, and local election years.
Understand the advantages
| Incumbents may have | Challengers may need |
|---|---|
| Name recognition | Public introduction |
| Donor relationships | Fundraising connections |
| A record in office | A reason for change |
| Political relationships | Their own support network |
An incumbent's record can also be a liability.
Ask about the recruitment pitch
What does the person recruiting you consider success? Winning the seat? Building an organization? Increasing turnout? Making an incumbent work harder?
None is automatically illegitimate, but you should know the goal before agreeing to carry the burden.
Consider the realistic opportunity
A difficult race isn't necessarily pointless. But if winning is unlikely, be clear about what else the campaign could accomplish, who benefits, and whether that outcome is worth the cost.
Run File 02: Race Snapshot
OptionalCapture the election history, likely competition, advantages and obstacles, recruitment expectations, and your assessment of the opportunity.
Section 3
Know the Rules
Before you say yes, find out what the law requires.
Every office comes with rules. Those rules vary by state, locality, office, election type, and sometimes party nomination process.
- Start by confirming whether you're eligible to hold the position.
- Then find out what it takes to qualify for the ballot.
Those are separate questions.
You also need to understand the deadlines, campaign finance requirements, reporting responsibilities, and any restrictions that could affect your employment or other obligations.
Don't assume the rules begin when you publicly announce. Depending on the jurisdiction and what you do, certain activities before an announcement may trigger legal requirements.
Check eligibility and ballot access separately
Confirm qualifications such as age, residency, and other applicable requirements. Then investigate nomination procedures, petitions, filing documents, deadlines, and any other ballot-access rules.
Know when obligations begin
Before raising or spending money, verify whether registration, reporting, or other requirements apply.
Use authoritative sources
Start with the appropriate election authority and official published guidance. Seek qualified legal advice when necessary. Don't treat a previous candidate's experience as a substitute for current rules.
Understand what happens afterward
Some financial reporting, recordkeeping, and other obligations can continue after withdrawal or defeat.
Run File 03: Rules Sheet
OptionalRecord the requirements you've verified, their official sources, important deadlines, and questions still unanswered. Separate confirmed facts from assumptions.
Section 4
Know What You're Taking On
The campaign won't happen in a separate life.
Running for office takes time, attention, and sometimes personal money. It can affect your work, relationships, privacy, and daily routines.
You don't need to predict every problem. But you should understand what you're agreeing to before your name is on the ballot.
Consider how much time you can realistically give, what financial limits you need, and how running might affect the people who share your life.
Think about what happens if the campaign becomes more demanding than expected. And think about what happens if you lose.
The ordinary Tuesday test
Picture an ordinary Tuesday three months into the campaign. You have work, family responsibilities, unanswered messages, an event that evening, and something unexpected that needs your attention. What gives?
Family support isn't campaign labor
A partner or family member may support your decision without agreeing to take on campaign work or extra household responsibilities.
Have that conversation before making assumptions.
Know your financial boundaries
- Could running affect your income or employment?
- How much personal money, if any, are you prepared to spend?
- What obligations could remain afterward?
Think about privacy
- What are you comfortable sharing publicly?
- What information might become public regardless of your preferences?
- What boundaries do you want for yourself and your family?
Prepare for an ending other than victory
Losing may bring disappointment, but it can also leave practical obligations. Depending on applicable rules, bills, reports, and records may still need attention.
What Nobody Tells You
The campaign may become everyone's schedule, even if only your name is on the ballot.
Run File 04: Personal Reality Check
OptionalReflect on time, employment, finances, family responsibilities, privacy, personal boundaries, and what would make running manageable or unmanageable.
Section 5
Know Your Support
Encouragement is nice. Commitments are better.
People may be enthusiastic about your candidacy. That doesn't necessarily mean they're prepared to help you run.
Find out what support actually exists.
If a party committee, political organization, or individual is encouraging you, ask what they're offering and what they expect in return.
You should understand the difference between an encouraging conversation, a promise, and a specific commitment.
And you should consider what happens if the help you expect never arrives.
Sort support into three categories
- ConfirmedSpecific help someone has agreed to provide.
- PromisedSupport discussed but not yet firmly committed.
- UnknownHelp you might need but haven't secured.
Support might involve volunteers, petitioning, fundraising, advice, voter information, or introductions. You don't need to organize those operations yet. You need to understand what's genuinely available.
Ask about expectations
Does the organization expect you to finance much of the race? Follow particular messaging? Attend certain events? Meet fundraising targets? Make commitments before receiving support?
Consider the fallback
If the “Promised” and “Unknown” columns disappeared tomorrow, would you still want to run?
Run File 05: Support Check
OptionalWho's already committed? What's still uncertain? What's your fallback?
Section 6
Make the Call
You don't need perfect certainty. You do need enough information to make a decision you can live with.
By now, you should have a clearer picture of the job, the race, the rules, the personal demands, and the support available.
You may have discovered that running makes sense. You may have found reasons to wait. You may have decided that this particular race or office isn't right for you.
You may also have questions that genuinely need answers before you decide.
All of those are legitimate outcomes.
Four possible decisions
- I'm runningYou're ready to move from considering a candidacy to preparing for one.
- Not this timeThe timing, circumstances, or opportunity aren't right.
- I'd rather help another wayYou want to contribute without becoming the candidate.
- I need more informationSomething important remains unresolved.
If you're uncertain, identify the specific information that would change your decision. Is it a legal question, the likely workload, a financial concern, or an unanswered promise of support?
You don't need to keep researching indefinitely. But you also don't need to manufacture certainty to satisfy someone else's timeline.
Run File 06: Decision
OptionalRecord where you stand today in five answers:
- Where are you leaning?
- What's driving your decision?
- Is there anything you need to know or settle before you can move forward?
- What's one thing you'll do next?
- When would you like to do it?
If you've decided to run, So, You're Running. Now What? is the next Game Plan. Otherwise, your decision can stand on its own.