Your Family: An Important Part of Planning a Political Campaign

When planning your first political campaign, the to-do list can initially seem overwhelming.  Kickoff events, fundraising, press releases, grassroots efforts, volunteer coordination . . . where does a successful candidate start?

I’ll tell you exactly where: with your family.

Every smart candidate dedicates plenty of thought and consideration to the prospect of running for office.  It’s a big commitment, and the decision shouldn’t be one that you make on your own.

It’s great to have political advisers and friends who can lend advice, but the most important pre-campaign planning should be with your spouse and kids.

Think about it: your family will be most affected by the long days and late nights that come with your campaign.  They will have to deal with the stresses you bring home.  They will be your biggest supporters and your most valuable sounding board.

The decision to run for office, no matter how small, should never be made without the blessing of your family.  No matter how self-sufficient you are politically, your family will have to make inevitable sacrifices while you’re on the campaign trail.

Before I made the decision to run for office myself, I sat down at the dining room table with my wife and kids and asked all of them what they thought of the idea.  I told them how much work it might involve, and that winning wasn’t guaranteed.

I made sure that I explained as well as I could what running for office would entail, and asked them their opinions before making a final decision.

And you should do the same.  Although your family might not be as interested or enthusiastic about politics as you are, you owe it to them to explain what running for office will mean.

If they discourage you from running, or if you know that a political campaign would put unneeded stress on your family life, then you might want to reconsider.

Remember: your family is always more important than any political career. Losing sight of that is the one of the most serious political miscalculations you could make.

Related Political Campaign & Local Election Strategies:

1. Planning Your Political Campaign: Why Are You Running for Office?
2. Planning a Political Campaign: Voter Turnout
3. Teaching Kids to Love Voting, Political Campaigns & Elections
4. Planning a Political Campaign: Your Winning Number
5. The Most Important Element of a Political Campaign