Reprint alert, updated for 2024. Read on:
That's right. It's never too early to start thinking about 2024. City
Council race coming up? School Board? Certainly Assembly, County
Supervisor, and Congress.
You may want to launch your campaign for water board, sewer board or
Community Services District. Find out now what seats are coming up and
when you find the one that seems right for you, get the answers to these
questions before you make a final decision:
1. Is the incumbent likely to run? You may not know yet, because they
may not have decided, but at least know who the incumbent is, what their
track record is and what has been written about them and their votes on
the board. This information can help you decide if it's worth
challenging the incumbent. If they are not doing a good job, or you have
some better ideas and will to take on the challenge, don't let the
fact that someone else is sitting there now stop you.
2. When is the election? In March, when the California primaries take
place or in November, along with the General election? Or both. Is there
a primary to whittle down the field to the top two? This is important
because it will make a difference in your fundraising and endorsement
seeking schedule. If it's in March, filing is in the fall. You need to
be cognizant of the holiday season and plan accordingly.
3. How much does this race normally cost? If you're running against the
incumbent, it will probably cost you more, to get yourself known and up
to speed, and get your message out to the voters on why they should fire
the incumbent and hire you, instead. You can get the information on
past election costs either at Cal-Access
the State site with campaign disclosures or at the City or County where
the election takes place. Sometimes you have to go physically into the
office of the Board to get hard copies of the disclosure statements.
Now that you're armed with some basic information about the race, make
sure you are up to speed on the decisions made by this board, the scope
of the duties and how you can contribute to the quality of the work
done.
Whatever you run for, the most important question is one to ask yourself: Do I have the "Fire in the belly" for this job?
If the answer is Yes, go for it. Just do your homework, make sure you
can raise the funds and get the support needed and you are off and
running.
