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So you think you want to run for Public Office?

© Hunter

Well, you can and here is how!

You could run for and become a member of the School Board in your community and have input into our youths lives; you could run for and become a State Legislator and introduce bills that will impact the everyday lives of everyone who lives in your state or you could run for and become Mayor of your city and be party to deciding the best use of your local tax dollars.

You have watched a dentist and a farmer get elected Governor; a former housewife elected Lt. Governor; a small business owner, a realtor, or a priest become legislators and public relations experts, professors or computer salesmen get elected Mayor.

Now you are ready to run for public elective office, so how do you begin?

Before, you make an anouncement, you must examine your motives.

You can save yourself a lot of heartbreak by doing so. You must enjoy team work; you must have the consuming drive necessary for door-to-door campaigning for hours and days on end; you must be willing to live in a fishbowl with your entire life, past and present, open for inspection to all; you must be willing to attend endless fundraisers, make appearances, give speeches, smile when you don't feel like it, be nice to people you don't really want to be nice too and you must be able to attract supporters willing to work on your campaign, doing hours of such types of work as addressing and stuffing envelopes, finding locations for and putting up and taking down lawn signs, running from house to house for literature drops, and spend countless hours on the phone at the phone bank asking for votes and money for you.

Running for office is very expensive, but you don't have to be a wealthy person. All you have to do is be willing to go out and ask people for money . . . and you can't be timid about it. A good place to start is your Christmas card list. Send a letter . . . I sent handwritten notes . . . to every person, regardless of party connections, that would have enough interest to help you.

Never, never limit yourself by sending out a request for a specivic amount of money. Keep the door open for those larger contributions.

Finally, you may have a mission or an issue you are ready to fight for, but to what degree will your family support your decision to run?

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