To everyone who ran for office this convention and primary season, congratulations! Whether your journey ended at the convention or you’re still in the race, running for office shows a deep level of commitment to serving your community. As a first-time candidate, I learned several lessons from my experience.
There is no “right” time.
I chose to run for state representative in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Working from home full time while also trying to educate my three young children during school dismissals was not perfect timing. However, running for office is hard and time-consuming, no matter the situation. While there won’t always be a public health crisis or earthquakes, a campaign will always coincide with other things happening in your life. Outside circumstances won’t, or shouldn’t, determine the right time — it must be a personal decision.
The political process is complex.
I have long considered myself an involved and proactive citizen. I vote. I attend legislative sessions. I follow bills and work with policy-makers on a variety of issues. But I admit I did not fully understand the process prior to running for office myself. There are many steps before a candidate can be listed on a ballot. Reports must be filed, documents signed and delegates wooed. A candidate must make it through the convention and then, potentially, a primary election, before being placed on the general election ballot.
I learned in speaking with my friends and neighbors that many active voters are unaware of how detailed the run-up to a general election truly is, with precincts, caucuses and conventions. More concerning was that many people I spoke with had no idea who was representing them at each of these levels or how to engage with these leaders.
You need money.
I naively thought I could launch a campaign by funding myself, using free resources, and that maybe some generous donors would invest thousands of dollars into my campaign account because they believed in me. No matter how you slice it, campaigns are expensive. Creating websites, professional campaign videos and print mail pieces adds up quickly.
Fundraising as a first-time candidate without name recognition is hard, so it is a necessity to rely on friends and family who believe in you. Ask them to invest in you, then thank them when they do. If you have friends or family running for office one of the best ways you can support them is by donating to their campaign. Even a few dollars helps.
You need help of all sorts.
In addition to budgeting for expenses, I was constantly seeking insight about how to execute the campaign, with questions about finances, fundraising, administrative paperwork, messaging and more. I also needed colleagues to endorse me. The list of favors I called in seemed never ending, and I was fortunate enough to have many experienced political experts in my corner. But I also had to seek out help from strangers, with “cold” calls and emails to individuals and political organizations asking for guidance.
You will feel alone at times.
Despite the incredible outpouring of love, support and encouragement I felt —I have an amazing group of friends, a supportive family and associates from across the nation who reached out throughout this process — there were times when the work could only be done by me. As a first-time candidate, I didn’t have a campaign staff or a large army of volunteers for delegating tasks like you see on TV or in movies.
Most of the time it was just me, alone in my home office sneaking time between family tasks to write letters and emails, or make personal phone calls. Running for office is mentally and emotionally exhausting. It’s a unique feeling only other candidates truly understand.
If you are thinking about engaging in the political process, do it. I recommend starting at the local level. Reach out to your local precinct chair and find out about your caucuses and how to be a delegate, most of this information can be found on the Utah GOP and the Utah Democratic Party websites. On your city or county website you can find information about other local events such as town halls, city council meetings and local school board meetings. This information is public, but it sometimes takes a little digging. You may also want to consider volunteering to help with a candidate’s campaign to get a behind the scenes look at politics.
Your voice is important at every level of policy.
Tabitha Pacheco is an educator and Director of the Utah Teacher Fellows.
Tabitha Pacheco is an educator and director of the Utah Teacher Fellows. She once ran for office and lost, but learned a lot. Twitter, @tabitha_pacheco