A lot goes into running for Congress, or any political office for that matter. It’s much more than getting the name on the ballot, as actually having success means putting in the appropriate amount of time and energy.
First-time candidates find it particularly difficult since they might not know precisely how to approach a run and actually win. Elijah Norton of Veritas Global Protection is just one of many considering a run soon, and planning the campaign out from start to finish can seem daunting at first glance.
What’s the process of running for Congress? While there’s no sure-fire way to win, taking care of these critical points makes a big difference.
Crafting a Plan
Going into a race for Congress without any type of plan can be a great way to waste time in today’s world. Simply put, it’s not going to be possible to win without putting together a plan that seems realistic. That means everything from crafting main talking points to recruit a team of volunteers to help.
The average Congress campaign takes time and money to have one successfully. Putting plans together takes months, if not years in advance, to even come close to winning in my situation. There are always exceptions to the rules, but they are costly as well.
First-timers usually do not wake up and decide to run one day. They’ve been thinking about a run and planning a few things for a long time.
Building a Support Team
No run in Congress will be successful without having a support team to help lead the charge. Many people helping out with the campaign end up being volunteers, but there can be some paid positions as well. For example, most campaigns have an official treasurer, as well as a few other spots that need professional guidance.
The goal of the support team is to help raise awareness and bring in as many votes as possible. It’s impossible for a candidate to do everything themselves, especially for a spot in Congress. Teams usually start with friends and family, but they can really start to grow depending on the candidate’s popularity.
Coming Up with Money
Even the best candidates in the world need a lot of money to run for Congress and be successful. Some candidates are fortunate enough to have the money to pay the cost to run a campaign over themselves, but others will rely on fundraising to be part of the process.
Just how much is needed to run successfully for Congress? It depends on the competition and the state, but a lot of candidates are spending at least seven figures. That’s a lot of fundraising and a few key donors to help out tremendously. Having a party affiliation makes a difference, but it’s hitting the pavement and getting as much money as possible that will do the trick.
Running for the Right Reasons
Voters for Congress are pretty smart as far as figuring out who is actually running for the right reasons. In order to capture votes, there must be a certain level of passion behind running. This might be the one thing holding some candidates back from going all in. Can they handle the limelight if they do win? Can they make a true difference? Running should be for the right reasons, not just because.
Providing a True Alternative
Taking on an incumbent in any type of political vote is a challenging task. After all, there’s a reason why a person is in office in the first place. They had loyalty built-in, and a lot of voters don’t like to vote for change unless they know what type of change is coming to the table.
Elijah Norton understands that he has voted for the Republican party in the past in this district, and there are some similarities between him and the current representative in Congress. However, he feels differently in a variety of issues and comes at everything a little bit differently. Being different and standing by those differences is what wins over voters.
Trust in the Process
There are bound to be jitters whenever someone is running for Congress, even if they are a seasoned veteran. It becomes that much more challenging when someone is running for any type of political office for the first time. Simply learning to trust the process and relax a bit will go a long way towards showing composure and building up confidence.
Candidates need to show that they are able to handle the spotlight so that they can build trust with voters. Acting calmly at all times will give them the right impression and show that there is no doubt.
Everything ultimately builds up to election day, and there’s a little left to do besides sit back and hope for the best. Obviously, everyone is hoping to win when they run for Congress, but there is plenty to learn even if it ends up as a loss. The good thing about running for a representative seat is that there is an election every two years.
