So you’re thinking about running for office. Is it something you’ve always wanted to do? Or did someone approach you and suggest you’d be a good candidate? For me, it was an email and text message that arrived almost simultaneously asking me what district I lived in. On that day, Feb. 4, 2019, Jean Evans resigned as State Rep in the 99th District to become Executive Director of the MO Republican Party. Now five months later, I’m knee-deep in all things necessary to run a successful statewide campaign. How did it come together for me? Luck, drive, hard work and lots of phone calls. Here are some things I’d suggest you do as you ponder your future in political office.
Do you really want to do this? I’m reminded about what Sen. Claire McCaskill said when she spoke to West County Dems in July – you’re always thinking about where you have to go next or who you have to talk to and did you spend enough time in that place. And there’s the call time – lots of it every weekday asking people you do and don’t know for money which is awkward and uncomfortable (as a point of reference, I’m being asked to raise $150,000+ for a State Rep race). Don’t forget you’ll likely be attacked in some way in a mailer or ad and how will that affect you?
Are you the right kind of person for the job? Let me cut to the chase. Do you like people? Lots of people. Do you like shaking hands and talking about yourself and shaking more hands and asking people what’s important to them? Do you like having challenging conversations with people who disagree with you? Do you like speaking to small groups in living rooms and larger groups in union halls? Are you secure in yourself meaning even when attacked, do you believe what you believe and no attack will change that or stop you in your tracks because you know you’re the better candidate?
Do you know how the political system works and how to mount a campaign? These local, state and national groups offer start-to-finish candidate training. Contact them to find out the length of their training, any associated cost, when trainings are scheduled and if the training is directed at a particular audience, like potential women candidates.
- Democratic Party https://missouridemocrats.org/event/ndtc-blue-bench-training/
- MO Ethics Commission (MEC): https://www.mec.mo.gov/MEC/Educational_Resources/Home.aspx
- Muslims for a Better America’s Campaign Training Academy https://www.mbamissouri.com/academy
- National Women’s Political Caucus http://www.nwpc.org/
- UMSL’s Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life https://www.umsl.edu/sueshear/Programs-and-Workshops/index.html
- Vote Run Lead https://voterunlead.org/
Have you ever heard about townships, the associated committee people and their meetings? This was a learning curve for me. On the voter identification card that’s mailed to you prior to an election, your township is listed. That’s all I knew. Now I know that every township has a committeeman and committeewoman and they likely meet on a regular basis. I didn’t know I had committee people and I imagine these binary appointments were done to engage women in the process and will likely change in the coming years. Find info on yours here: https://stldems.wordpress.com/townships/.
How do I build my campaign team? When I announced I was running, business cards poured in along with names and phone numbers. Talk to all those people and write down what they tell you. Everyone I talked to I learned something which helped me (and continues to help me) in my campaign. Early on, you’re looking for people to be your inner circle or team. Some candidates do a lot on their own. I chose to hire most of my inner team and so I have to pay them. That needs to be factored into your budget. My team includes a campaign manager who handles my overall campaign strategy, field work or canvassing and call time; a fundraiser who supplies the list of folks I call and ask for money; a communications director who built my website, designs my campaign literature and oversees my Facebook and Twitter posts (though I do many of my own); a treasurer and deputy treasurer who are volunteers who collect and deposit checks and help with quarterly MEC filings. It’s a lot. Know that. You’re basically starting a company from scratch and you’re the product.
How do I make everything official (and get an Act Blue account)? First thing you have to do is secure a treasurer and open a bank account. You can’t do that until the state Democratic Party confirms you’re the candidate, you fill out the necessary paperwork showing you’re not late on any taxes and you head to Jeff City and file in the Secretary of State’s office before the deadline for your race. Once that’s all done and you’ve opened your bank account, you get your Act Blue link and the heavens (or pocketbooks and wallets) will hopefully open up for you. You won’t get off that easy. You’ll still need to make hundreds of calls.
There are how many Democratic groups that meet? If you’re reading this, you’re likely an aficionado of West County Dems. Their monthly meetings on the second Mon. of each month are informative and affirm our causes. There are additional local Democratic clubs like MO Progressive Action Group, St. Charles County Democratic Club and Chesterfield Dems that meet regularly. You can also go to the statewide Democratic Party link to find more: https://missouridemocrats.org/county-parties/. And don’t forget about your township. They likely hold regular meetings and these are a good way to meet people that share your concerns and live close by. All these meeting opportunities give you a chance to hone your spiel, network with attendees and recruit volunteers. Go if you can.
All this info is hopefully more than enough information to get you started. I’ve found that my local and statewide Democratic parties feel like family I didn’t know I had. They’re supportive and encouraging and there when I need them. Along with the daily support from my team, they make running this race possible and enjoyable. Would I do it again? Yes. Am I going to win on Nov. 5th? Yes. Will I run again? Yes. Please join me in my efforts. Visit www.trishgunby.com to find out more about me and my campaign or email me at votefortrish@gmail.com.
I hope to see you in the 99th as we work to flip it BLUE!
Trish Gunby, Democratic Candidate for State Rep in the 99th District