Running for office for the first time can feel overwhelming — from figuring out who to ask for help to crafting a message that resonates with voters. In this video, political consultant Jay Townsend breaks down the five essentials every first-time candidate needs: finding the right help, understanding the job you’re seeking, building your network, crafting your message, and raising the money to get your name in front of voters.
In this video, we’re going to talk about how to run for office for the first time. It’s as easy as 1-2-3 if you listen to what I’m going to share with you here — there’s nothing complicated about it. It’s just that when you’re doing it for the first time, you need someone to guide you through it.
We’re going to cover where to find the help you’ll need, what you need to know about your jurisdiction, the message you disseminate to the voters you want to vote for you, the means you use to do that — what we call your advertising — and how you raise the money to pay for it.
The very first thing I want to talk about is the importance of getting help. It’s like learning to ride a bicycle — chances are you had an adult or someone older teaching you how to do that the first time, and if you didn’t, you probably fell off the bike. So listen carefully: find help. Talk to somebody who’s run for office before. Talk to a candidate in your jurisdiction who’s been through a campaign, maybe even an election, about what they did or what they wish they hadn’t done. Let them help you understand the culture and nature of your community.
Barring anything else, there are professional political consultants who help first-time candidates. I’ve done more campaigns than I can count, including for some first-time candidates who went on to be elected to Congress and the U.S. Senate. On election night, they often look at me and say, “Jay, I couldn’t have done that without you.” When I ask why, the answer is usually the same: I helped them do things they didn’t know how to do, kept them focused on what was important instead of letting the unimportant get in the way, gave them the confidence that they could do what they were trying to do, and helped them express their views in ways they couldn’t on their own. That’s what a political consultant does. If you hire one, make sure their only loyalty is to you and your campaign.
The second thing to understand about running for office: at some point you’ll pick a job to run for. Here’s what you’re really doing when you ask voters for their support — you’re asking them to give you the power to do something: power to fix a problem, power to right a wrong or correct an injustice, power to advance a policy that will affect their lives. Voters expect you to know exactly what kind of power you’re seeking and why, and to make sure the office you’re seeking actually gives you the power to do what you say you’re going to do.
Regardless of what you run for, know the responsibilities of that job. Know what you’re talking about, and stay informed about that job and any news during the campaign that affects it. If you look clueless about the office on the campaign trail or in a door-to-door conversation, voters will think you are.
That means getting in the habit of knowing what happened the day before, before you leave your house in the morning. I don’t care what newspaper you read, but you ought to know what transpired in your world, your state, and your community the day before.
Here’s a story I saw happen firsthand: a candidate for mayor in New York finally landed an appointment with a very wealthy potential donor. They sat down in a high-rise office building, made small talk, and then the donor looked at him and said, “What do you think about the treaty the Senate passed yesterday?” He said, “What treaty?” He hadn’t bothered to read the news and knew nothing about what the billionaire was talking about. It took about two minutes for the billionaire to conclude the meeting, having decided this candidate wasn’t qualified for the job. He never got off the ground. He never got a dime. He blew it because he hadn’t read the newspaper that morning.
Here’s a simple truth: nobody ever wins an election without the help of other people. Start with your own network. You probably already know people who might volunteer, help advance your cause, or introduce you to their influential friends — family, friends, relatives, people who know you and like you from your journey through life.
The places you’re most likely to find them, including people you forgot you know, start with the contact list on your cell phone. Thumb through it and look for names you might solicit for help. Check your LinkedIn connections — we tend to accumulate a lot of those over the years, and some we know very well. Take the time to look at your Facebook friends too, because you may find people willing to knock on doors on your behalf, give a campaign contribution, or connect you with others who can help. You need a good network of volunteers to start off, and that’s the first and richest place to find them.
You’ll need a campaign message when you run for office for the first time, and your message should answer five different questions voters will have for you:
If you can answer all five of those in a campaign message, you have a great one — and one that will carry the day for you.
If you’re running in a small jurisdiction where you can win by knocking on doors, all you need is a flyer and a handout — go knock on doors, and that’s a great way to win an election. But if you live in a much larger jurisdiction, where you’ll never have time to knock on every door, you’ll need to advertise.
There are many ways to advertise a message. Social media is a great, easy, and inexpensive option. Sometimes you have to pay to put ads in front of people — that could be digital advertising or radio commercials, if you’re in a community where a lot of people listen to a particular station. In many jurisdictions, it’s almost universal at election time for people to receive what we call persuasion mail as they’re making up their minds. There are also television options that may fit your jurisdiction — what’s called OTT or CTV, sometimes cable TV, and commercial TV, which is appropriate for larger or statewide contests.
You can’t go through a campaign that costs money for advertising without knowing exactly what you’re going to spend it on and how you’ll allocate your budget. And if you have no plan to raise the money, the best advertising budget in the world is just going to sit there collecting dust.
Money is not a dirty word. Money fuels causes — including whatever you’re fighting for during your campaign. There are several ways to do this. The easiest is to call people who are dear friends of yours and ask them to contribute to your cause. You can also ask friends who are well connected in the community, or who own a business or know lots of people, to raise money on your behalf.
There’s always direct mail — candidates still use it, sending a piece to voters asking them to contribute. There are cocktail parties, organized events where someone who knows you invites people to their house to give $25 or $50 while they munch carrots and have a drink with you. There are more formal dinner parties with higher-end, well-heeled contributors — I’ve seen candidates raise real money at dinner parties like that.
And there are celebrity events. I attended one just last month: a client of mine in the Midwest decided to hold a fundraiser and happened to know a former world champion wrestler — they were friends — so he called and asked him to come out and be the guest of honor. Because people knew they’d get a chance to meet this wrestler, all 300 tickets sold out in two days. Everyone who came that night got a photo and an autograph with him. That’s a celebrity event — if you know a celebrity, ask them to help you.
Q: Do I really need to hire a political consultant if I’m running for office for the first time?
A: You don’t have to hire one, but I recommend finding some kind of experienced guide — whether that’s a past candidate in your area or a professional consultant. First-time candidates who work with an experienced advisor tend to avoid basic mistakes, stay focused on what matters, and gain the confidence to present their message clearly. If you do hire a consultant, make sure their only loyalty is to you and your campaign.
Q: How do I find volunteers and donors if I’ve never run a campaign before?
A: Start with people you already know. Go through your phone contacts, LinkedIn connections, and Facebook friends — you’ll likely find people willing to volunteer, donate, or introduce you to others who can help. Your existing network is almost always the richest and easiest place to start building a campaign team.
Q: What should my campaign message include?
A: Your message should answer five questions voters are asking: what makes you qualified, whether your values match theirs, what problem you’re running to solve, why they can trust you, and why you’re the better choice than your opponent. If you can answer all five clearly, you have a strong campaign message.
Q: What kind of advertising do I need for my campaign?
A: It depends on the size of your jurisdiction. If you can realistically knock on every door, a simple flyer and door-to-door effort may be enough. Larger jurisdictions require broader advertising — social media, digital ads, radio, direct mail, or television — depending on your budget and who you’re trying to reach.
Q: What are some practical ways to raise campaign money?
A: Common methods include calling friends directly to ask for contributions, asking well-connected friends to raise money on your behalf, direct mail appeals, cocktail parties, formal dinner events with larger donors, and celebrity fundraising events where a well-known guest draws a crowd.
Jay Townsend has spent more than 40 years advising candidates at every level of American politics. Browse the full library of free campaign resources at JayTownsend.com or subscribe to Jay’s YouTube channel for new videos every week.
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