The Hard Truth About Running For Public Office

It’s all about the Benjamins.

When I first have a conversation with a prospective candidate, one of the first questions I ask is “Are you committed to call time?” If he or she has no idea what call time is then I have a better idea of the slope of the hill we need to climb together. If the candidate replies, “Yes. I hate it, but I’ll do it” then I know we’re going to have a shot at winning. 

Then there is the other, most dreaded response from any candidate which is, “Yeah, but I really don’t think I need to do it to win.” Red Flag. Red Flag. RED FLAG.

Call time is the one, single thing that 99% of political candidates loathe, dread, and detest! They will use any excuse under the sun to avoid it. Ask eight out of ten politicians, and they will likely tell you that raising money is the absolute worst part of running for office. 

However, at the end of the day unless you are a self-funder or your name is Bernard Sanders, call time is the most essential and integral aspect of running a competitive campaign for public office. Even though I am sure the Senator from Vermont still makes a few calls and has certainly done so in the past.

Call time basically entails the candidate sitting in a medium-sized office (preferably without windows to avoid distraction) across from one other person, usually the call time manager or finance director. Good candidates spend hours on end in this room “dialing for dollars” and calling up close friends they saw yesterday or the kid who sat beside them in college statistics last century.

Each call has two, simple goals. Make it quick and ask for money. And one must not simply make the ask, but make the right ask. Going too low or too high can sometimes be almost as bad as not asking at all.

If this already makes you queasy then you are not alone and maybe you should think twice about running for office.

There is no such thing as fueling an entire campaign from online donations. No matter how cute the gif that so and so’s grandson has created, posting it on Twitter or Instagram is not going to generate the thousands of dollars you need to keep your campaign’s engine running.

And here is the worst part. Unlike field efforts such as door-knocking and phone calls that are involved in a campaign, candidates cannot rely on others to do it for them. Sure, they can develop a finance committee that can help raise funds, specifically seed money. 

But at the end of the day, over 80% of the money candidates need to adequately fund their campaigns and be competitive will generate from call time. A candidate who is not committed to being on the phone for hours a day calling whichever person appears on the sheet in front of them is not taking the campaign seriously.

It is not a coincidence that members of the House of Representatives have a call center within walking distance of the U.S. Capitol building. It takes money to win and to keep winning.

And that is why no matter if you are running for local city council or federal office, you need professionals to come in and provide advice on strategy, tactics, and best practices. So for anyone out there even remotely thinking of running for public office, consult your family first. If they are absolutely against it, your campaign is already dead in the water.

If they give you the green flag, then you have to ask yourself (again unless you plan to pay for your campaign out of your own pocket) if you are comfortable sitting in a room for hours on end and asking people for money?

It’s a hard truth and the nature of the beast. The good news is there are firms and professionals like ours who are there to help you and guide you along the treacherous path of political fundraising.  

Thank you for your time, and if you are thinking of running for office or just getting started contact us here.

Monica Biddix

Workhorse Strategies, LLC

Principal and Founder