Election's Over. Now Start Campaigning!

Yes, it is November 5th. The fall election is two days behind us, but the June election is coming up fast. Believe it or not, if you plan a run for June 2016, you better be on it now. Start fundraising if you haven't Remember, friends and family first. And what better time to visit with friends and family than the Holiday season!

You know you will be going to lots of family get togethers, Holiday parties and maybe even a high school or college reunion. It's that time of year. Get yourself a remit envelope, a small handout, professionally created and printed and practice your elevator speech.

When people ask you what you've up to, don't be shy. Hand them a card and a remit and tell them about your run. Ask for their support and, even if it's not appropriate to hit them up for cash at that moment (maybe the carols are playing or the turkey is getting passed around the table), the right time will come soon. Pick up the phone and call back every one you made contact with within a day or so of the contact, and make the ask.

And now for a delicious Holiday fundraising fettuccine. You'll need it to keep up your energy as you dial those phones and press that flesh.

Fettuccine with Sausage & Kale

 

• 1 pound fettuccine
• 1 pound spicy italian sausage, removed from casing
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 large bunch kale, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Directions

1. In large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain. In large skillet, cook sausage over medium-low until browned, about 7 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cream; simmer until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Add kale; toss until wilted. Remove from heat; toss with pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Down Ticket Races - Why Challengers Sometimes Must Spend More

I often get asked by my candidates why it seems to be costing them more than the competition to run. In fact, they sometimes get downright testy about it. "Why am I spending twice as much as Joe? In fact, Joe isn't doing anything at all, except a few signs. Why should I bother? Our feedback from people at the door is great. We look stupid spending big money in this small water board/school board/Town Council race."

Then I must explain to the candidate the realities of being a challenger. "Sally," I say, "Joe is the incumbent. Joe has automatic name recognition from his 15 years in office, not to mention that all important I in front of him name on the ballot. In other words, Joe doesn't need to do anything. The election is his to lose."

And lost it  may well be if Sally is willing to work harder, walk and phone more and yes, spend more money. No one knows your name. She has never held public office. Yes, she has gone to every meeting of the board since 2005, but so what? Her and three other people. And where are they, by the way I ask? How much have they donated to your campaign? Are they out walking with you? Are they making phone calls? (Probably not, because the candidate never asked. How you can run for office and still be the shyest person in the room has always been a mystery to me.)

"But I have my signs in all the best locations," protests Sally. "People like my walk piece. My first mail went out the same time as the sample ballot. Of course people know my name by now. All my friends say so. People are beginning to talk about how much more money I am spending than Joe. What about campaign finance reform?"

Absolutely, we believe in campaign finance reform. Campaigning should not be a sport for the rich. The playing field must be leveled. But we have to deal with reality. Reality says you have to take your message to the voters several times in several different ways.

"So, yes," I say patiently, "your first mailer was great. But it will be forgotten when people go to the polls without some reinforcement. Your signs are fine, but they don't tell anyone anything about you, and they are just one in a sea of signs along the roadway. Walking is wonderful, and if you could get to every door in the district and talk to every frequent voter, you'd be in like Flynn (whoever he is), but you have 2000 doorhangers, and there are 9000 frequent voter doors.

"And yes, you are doing well in debates; you have good endorsements. But if no one hears the debates, or sees the endorsements because let's face it, they don't read the newspapers like they used to. Facebook is a tiny percentage of your voting base and. your friends, God love 'em, are just that, your friends, not the average voter who will make up his mind on or close to election day. That person needs a reminder. That person needs that second mailer from you, in their hand."

"Oh," answers Sally. Then she either agrees to make a few more phone calls and raise that last bit of money for one small mailer to poll voters, (and these days, the poll voter universe is small, with most people opting to mail their ballot in), or she shrugs and says, "Nah, it's ok. I feel really good about it."  And who knows, she may be right. But in my experience, dear candidate, it is just not worth the risk.

So, yes, our candidates in down ticket races do frequently spend more, sometimes a lot more, than the competition. But only when they have to. Only when the competition is an incumbent, or someone with great name recognition, or there is a major controversy about which they disagree. In those cases, not spending that extra cash may well lose you the seat that you are so well suited for, because the ones who need to know, the voters, never got the message.

Signs of the Times

Candidates cannot get enough signs. They love them and they must have them. And I understand - they are tangible artifacts of their campaign. They are big and bold and bright and stand right out there along the roadside with all the other signs.

They scream "look at me!", while their competitors shout just as loudly "No, look at me!" And the Kentucky Fried Chicken sign goes "Mmmmmm."

On Election Day how many votes will your signs bring to the polls? I think we all know the answer to that one.

Save money, bake a cake instead. Then go out and walk precincts, raise money and get that mail out in time for the absentee vote.  Reward yourself with a piece of cake for every $100 raised, 50 doors knocked, or 25 phone calls made. Yum!

Guest Blog: 5 Tips to Win Your Down Ticket Race

Today's guest Blogger with some good advice all candidates in down ticket races should heed: (with thanks to Down Ticket Dems) 5 Tips to Win your Down-Ticket Campaign by Andrew Collier Posted: 17 Sep 2015 08:41 AM PDT Getting involved in your local or state government is a noble task, and there is a lot of opportunity to do so in down-ticket races.   Although there can be many to choose from and it’s a great opportunity to get involved, you’ll want to keep some things in mind before jumping into your down-ticket race. § Your race is not as sexy as you think.  Down-ticket races aren’t premiere races in states or counties.  Unfortunately, if you’re running for County Auditor, your race won’t be as watched as, say, the County Commissioners or State Senate race. You won’t be able to get as much attention as other candidates, so you’ll need to get creative in your race. § Create innovative strategies.  Sometimes in a crowded field and in a down-ticket race, you’ll need to do innovative things to stand out among your competitors and other down-ticket races.  Build lists around issues, rallies, and build relationships with the press to get some good earned media. §  You still (and always) need to raise money.  Just because you’re running a down-ticket race doesn’t mean you can ride the coattails of your fellow party office-goers.  When you raise money, you bring legitimacy to your candidacy and you can spend more on digital, mail, and field.  Also, if you have a decent amount of money, you can help out some of your fellow office-goers from your party, again bringing more clout to your candidacy. § Don’t rely on others.  Too many candidates that are running in down-ticket races always rely on other candidates running for major offices to do the hard work for them.  Unfortunately, things don’t always work out as planned in local or statewide politics; an office holder endorses another candidate, your opponent gets a big donation, etc.  Always look out for your own campaign when running in a down-ticket race. § Build more coalitions.  Since you won’t raise as much as your top tier races, you’ll want to always build more coalitions.  Building coalitions can help put boots on the ground on Election Day and advocate on your behalf. Remembering these five things can help you stay on track for your down-ticket race. For more information about running for office, download our ebook, Ready, Set Go: Jump-Start Your Political Campaign. P.S. Remember – yard signs and “chum” don’t vote.  Make sure you aren’t spending a large portion of your budget on these items.  Focus your budget on voter communication such as direct mail, digital advertisements, or palm cards. Andrew Collier, Junior Account and Marketing Manager, The Campaign Workshop;   a political and advocacy advertising agency in Washington D.C. that provides strategy, digital advertising, direct mail and training services to non-profit and political clients. The Campaign Workshop   1660 L Street, NW    Suite 506   Washington, DC 20036  (202)223-8884   info@thecampaignworkshop.com Facebook – The Campaign Workshop Twitter – @cmpwrkshp

Facing Incumbents in Down Ticket Races

A candidate comes to me and asks about helping in his campaign for School Board in a mid sized district. There are four incumbents, all of them running. He is one of two challengers. He is clearly qualified and knows the issues. "Tell me," I ask, "Do you have any idea what kind of budget you are looking at in this race?"

"People tell me about $2000, to buy signs," he answers. Yikes. After I give him the Signs Don't Vote spiel, I explain a little bit about running against incumbents, how you have to convince the voter to fire them and hire you. "It's a several month long job interview," I explain. Then, "I think you'll need a little bit more than that."

Because I'm a meticulous campaigner, I gather up the financial disclosures in recent elections. He's right, that no one has spent more than $2000 since 2007. But guess what? Only incumbents have won since then. Two of the incumbents he is facing have been there for more than 20 years, the other two for 8 and 10 years.

The last big contested race was in 2005, when a candidate who I happened to work for spent $34,000 to oust an incumbent. Another person on that ticket running in an open seat spent $10,000.

Right now, I am working on a proposal for his campaign, along with a budget. Will he go for it? Will he hire a consultant to help him craft the message he must get into voters' hands? Will he be willing to raise and spend the money it will take to unseat an incumbent?

Or will he take his first friend's advice, buy some signs and hope for the best? Well, you know what I think. Let's see how this one plays out.

In the meantime, here's a hearty, healthy Back to School breakfast recipe for students and candidates alike:

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoon sugar or honey 

Instructions

1. Put 1 cup wheat & 1 cup milk in blender for 3 minutes.
2. After first 3 minutes add an additional 1/2 cup milk.
3. Blend for additional 2 minutes.
4. Add 1/2 cup oil, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 2 eggs, 1/2 t salt and 2 Tbsp sugar to blender until mixed.
5. Pour onto skillet (size that you want pancakes to be), cook on medium.
6. Makes 12 pancakes.

Fundraising - Don't be Shy

Feeling a little leery about asking people for money for your campaign? Now is not the time for shyness. Be bold. Channel your inner pushy telemarketer.  Now is the time to pick up the phone and call your friends, family, including old Aunt Minnie from Fresno and put the bite on them.  In a nice way of course.  They are your best bets for early money that will make the campaign grow. They are there for you and they want you to win.  They want to be able to say, "I knew her when..."  It's an opportunity for them and for the campaign coffers.

Got a day job? Great, then you have coworkers, suppliers, vendors, customers. Be professional, but let them know you are running, hand them that all important remit envelope when you sneak in a spiel over lunch or when schmoozing that business deal.

Got friends in Public office? Get their lists. I cannot emphasize this enough, especially if they are endorsing your campaign.  They want you to win. They have raised money in the past for their own campaigns and they can help you now, with a data base of names and contact information, maybe even make an introduction or two to their highest powered donors.  Don't be shy about asking. People who gave before are the most likely to give again.

Attend church or synagogue?  Belong to clubs and organizations?  Have kids in school?  More potential donors. And don't forget the neighbors. Not only good places to display your window signs, but good people to ask for campaigns donations, even small ones. They all add up.

If you've been endorsed by unions or other endorsing entities, ask their leadership for donations personally.  See if they will provide a list of members or send a letter on your behalf.

If letters are sent, do follow up with a personal phone call, especially for higher donors.  Volunteers can help with smaller donors.

But follow up is key. And as the candidate, you are in the best position. To make the "pitch."  Remember, it's not yourself you are selling, it's all the good you will do in office that will benefit the community and the donor, even indirectly, that motivates the giver.

Now here's a delicious Money Pie to get your campaign fundraising juices flowing.

FILING FOR NOVEMBER ELECTIONS OPEN NOW

Are you planning a run in November, School Board, City or Town Council, special district? Now's the time to file. August 7 is the last day, unless the incumbent does not run. Be sure you get enough correct signatures on your nomination papers, at least 30% more than the required number. You never know who has moved or doesn't know what District they are in.

And start drafting the all-important candidate's statement, those 200 words that give the voter an idea in a nutshell who you are, why you are qualified and what you'll do in office. Be precise, concise and clear. Have someone proofread it for you. List key endorsements and don't forget your website.

What ballot designation will you use? If you are running for school board, think about how your profession relates. Are you a teacher, a school psychologist, or a parent? All relevant. If not, it's not a fatal flaw, but those with titles that sound like they have experience in the job they are seeking have a leg-up on the competition for those who only read those three words on the ballot. And there are plenty of lazy voters.

Of course if you are the incumbent, your campaign, although never a shoo-in, has an advantage no one else can claim.

And as you know I am always going to say, start raising money for handouts, mail signs, and whatever else will help get your message out to voters at least 7 times in at least 3 different media. Sound daunting? it's how the winners win.