Running For Office

7 Questions with Delegate Danica Roem

Jul 11, 2022 by Elizabeth Rowe (she/her)

Delegate Danica Roem serves as delegate for Virginia House District 13. Roem served as the first openly transgender in any U.S. state legislature. With a background in journalism and a passion for improving citizens quality of life, Danica was inspired to help solve the issues which she reported on everyday throughout her journalism career. Danica focuses on local issues in her area such as increasing food accessibility to students, increasing teacher pay, and fixing transportation in District 13.

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Women Running for Office: A How-To Guide

Sep 03, 2020 by The Campaign Workshop

Challenges and Opportunities for Women Running for Office 

Since Donald Trump was elected in 2016, we have seen women running for office at all levels of government at an unprecedented rate—and winning. We’ve written ultimate guides for running for office in the past, but running for office as a woman comes with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. 

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What All Candidates Should Learn From Openly Gay Candidates

Dec 02, 2016 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Campaign Advice: Lessons for All Candidates From LGBT Candidates

For a long time,  I have said that LGBT Candidates ( Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender and Gay candidates), tend to be better candidates than their straight counterparts at running for office.  It’s because LGBT  candidates have to be. If you are breaking a barrier, it is only those with stellar qualifications and incredible drive who get through tough election fights and win.

For the last 15 years I have worked with LGBT candidates at all levels to run for office.

Now, people have woken up and said,  “Why are LGBT candidates getting elected?” It is a pretty simple formula: work hard, be qualified, be open and honest, raise a lot of money and you too may be on your way to office.

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So You Lost Your Political Campaign

Nov 10, 2016 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

So Your Political Campaign Lost, Now What?

If you were a Democrat running for office, working on a political campaign or a voter, Tuesday had some big wins and some close or not so close losses. Sure there were memorable wins  but many folks are depressed by the outcome of their specific election. So what do you do now?

 You have spent months running for office or managing a political campaign and now the political campaign is over. Even though you worked your butt off, you fell short.

Here are some tips for candidates and campaign managers from those of us who have been through many a political campaign and understand it is not easy.

Thank Folks. You might have lost, but it does not mean that people did not work hard. Make sure you take the time to call, email and personally thank volunteers, endorsers, donors and your friends and family.

Be Gracious. Don't be the candidate who tells everyone to jump in a lake after the campaign ends. A candidate’s reaction to losing can often be a bigger sign of whether they can do something in the future than the outcome of the race itself. You have a lot of folks who supported you, and you owe it to them and to yourself to treat this in a respectful manner.

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What Does A Political Candidate Do?

May 12, 2016 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Explore the role of the political candidate

By the title, this could be the shortest post in the history of our blog. The typical answer to this question, and the way I teach candidates about political campaigns, is that a political candidate has two jobs: to raise money and meet voters. But these tasks are easier said than done.

A political candidate’s perspective is that message, fundraising, and strategy come from her or him, so not involving the political candidate in those decisions could be disastrous. Anyone who has been involved in a political campaign knows there are many levels of involvement. So let's dig into it. I’ll chat about the candidates role in each element of a campaign and some of the pressure points in between.

Assessment of viability/ deciding to run: 

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Running for Office? Revisit "Ready, Set, Go!"

Mar 14, 2016 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

The Campaign E-Book Candidates Running for Office Needs To Read!

Running for office or working on a campaign? Six months ago, we released our fifth e-book “Ready, Set, Go! Jumpstart Your Political Campaign.” As candidates all across the country are beginning their campaigns, we wanted to reintroduce you to some of the e-book highlights. 

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Candidate Recruitment: How Does It Happen?

Jun 04, 2015 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Candidate Recruitment Doesn't Happen the Way You Think It Does

Candidate recruitment is a lost art form. There is a  lot of lore and legend about candidate recruitment we are here to give a more realistic view of candidate recruitment. Contrary to popular belief, someone from the DNC does not appear one day, out of the blue on you doorstep, and say you should be the next representative from Omaha.

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Announcing Your Campaign Digitally

Apr 23, 2015

Having a Strong Digital Presence Is a Vital Campaign Strategy

Announcing  your campaign digital is an important step for any campaign. Jeb Bush’s recent announcement that he will “actively explore the possibility of running for President” was certainly not the first time a candidate has announced they are running (or almost running) digitally, but it brings up a few key points to be taken into consideration. 

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Tips for First-Time Female Candidates From #NN13

Jun 27, 2013 by The Campaign Workshop

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