The Toughest Job for Any Political Candidate

The hardest thing about running for office is asking for money. Unless you are independently wealthy or have generous benefactor, you will need outside financial sources to get your political campaign off the ground.

The cost of election campaigns is high. In 2019-2020, congressional candidates collected $1.4 billion and spent $806 million dollars. State races are reaching new heights of spending, as well.

Depending on the size of the area and competitiveness, even local elections for city council, school boards and local bond initiatives can become costly. Campaigns require multiple ways to reach and communicate their message to voters.

Your own race will likely have expenses that include:

• Yard signs and billboards.
• Direct mail printing, mailing and distribution costs.
• Advertising in newspapers, radio and local cable.
• Voter data information.
• Online advertising for social media platforms like Facebook.
• Phone bank and texting outreach.
• Promotional activities and events.

Larger campaigns may also incur costs for staff salaries, office space, travel and accommodations.

Asking for campaign money is the primary way to fund these activities. It’s also the most difficult part of any campaign. This can be even more challenging if your opponent has more financial resources.

If you’ve never had to ask someone for money before, it can be a difficult and intimidating experience. It’s even natural to feel guilty or a little bit dirty asking people to donate to your campaign.

For most candidates, it’s the worst part of the campaigning process.

But remember that the money you are asking for is not for yourself. You are asking people community to invest in something positive, to support political communication to achieve a larger goal.

The reasons you may be running might be:

• To create change and make a difference
• To improve the living standards of your community
• To provide better representation for constituents
• To serve the voters of your district.

These issues are why people should vote for you, and why those who back you should be donating to your campaign committee.

As hard as it may be, you’re asking for help with something constructive for your community.

If you can find others who agree, and have the means to give, then you can help them be a part of something bigger than themselves.

And that should make you feel better about raising money. Make your request as part of your story and tie it in with each potential donor’s specific interests. Be specific with what you’d like them to do and transparent as to how their contribution will help.

Unless your districts is very small, you will not be able to successfully reach voters and win without advertising. And advertising costs money, which is why you will end up spending a lot of time working the phones, meeting people in person, sending email, and mailing postcards

In some cases, you may have outside political groups, PACs, or single-interest organizations may decide to contribute or assist your cause, but you can’t count on that.

In the end, you can’t be afraid to ask for money. In many ways, the process is even easier than in the past. Rather than asking for a written check or a cash contribution, online donation platforms simplify tracking and reporting. (Your treasurer will thank you, too!)

If you are thinking about running for office and want to win, you should start considering how you plan to raise funds.

But with the right mindset, doing it might not be so rough.

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