Holiday Political Campaigning in December: What Candidates Should Avoid

This message came to several of our business email accounts on early December morning:

I’m Running for Congress
My name is [REDACTED], and I’m running to be the next US Congressman for [REDACTED] Congressional District.

And the email went on for another 400 words about the candidate, why he’s running, and then ended with a “Donate Now” button.

Seriously?

Putting aside the fact that our email was harvested for the spam message, it raises the question: what was the point of an announcement like this in December?

Why Holiday Political Campaigning Backfires

If you’re preparing to run for office in the coming year, you’re probably energized and eager to get the word out. That enthusiasm is great. It just needs to be timed well.

December is one of the worst months for active campaigning because:

Voters are focused on family, travel, and celebrations.
Election season feels far away.
Fundraising messages and political asks land as noise.
Outreach risks being ignored or viewed as inconsiderate.

Holiday political campaigning often does more harm than good. At best, it’s brushed aside. At worst, it annoys the very people you’ll need later.

What You Should Be Doing Instead This Month

December is ideal for preparation—not persuasion. Successful candidates do their real work long before primary season begins.

As Sun Tzu said, “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”

This is the time to:

develop your core messaging
gather your campaign team
map out your election-season strategy

These early steps give you a real advantage once voters start paying attention again in January.

Hold Off on Active Campaigning Until After the Holidays

Avoid active outreach during major holidays, especially in December. This includes New Year’s Day and other high-distraction periods like Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, and even Super Bowl Sunday.

Voters aren’t in the right frame of mind, and your outreach won’t land the way you want.