This article is a submission to The Source by Jeff Roe, principal of Axiom Strategies, and a guest commenter on The Source.
January is the season of political decisions. At every level of government, aspiring candidates and politicians are weighing their options for future, higher or continued service.
For all the talk about mulling over their options, few people know what that entails. In my own experience, there are five considerations that every candidate should weigh as they make their decision.
Prayer-
The biggest part of any decision.
Family/Supporters-
We hear a lot of politicians talk about their family. Running for office isn’t the worst thing that can happen to a family, but it is always difficult for the people you love. Being a candidate means spending less time with your family, stress, and worrying about the outsized emphasis that can be placed on all things political. Your family has to be completely on board with your decision, and a politician has to be okay with having less family time and events.
You also need the support of your friends and your community, whose relationships form your base. Are they enthused? Do they think it’s a fool’s errand? In some cases they may want you to stay rather than try to move up.
Everybody has to be on board in order for you to feel comfortable.
Instincts-
Is this the right time? Does the electoral map favor me this time?
Every decision is based in part on whether or not it feels right. A big part of a successful campaign is picking the right time. Republicans who decided to run in 2010 had great timing. In 2006, there was a much tougher hill to climb. Knowing when to run is important.
Political Data-
A candidate needs to see the path to victory, and that begins with data. How much money does it take to run a successful campaign? How much can I raise? How many votes will I need to win? Who else is running, and how does that change the dynamic of the race? Do I need to do a poll to collect more data?
Working through the nuts and bolts of your candidacy – with concrete data - is the first step to deciding whether a campaign can succeed.
Desire-
Everyone considering a run for office has to be motivated to public service or they wouldn’t be thinking about running in the first place. The question is; how strong does the fire burn?
There are no breaks in politics; the next couple of years will be an all-out sprint. To get the job done you have to dedicate yourself completely, whether you’re knocking doors, raising money, or traveling day after day. The one common denominator is that every waking moment is spent either doing what you need to do, or thinking about it.
As you review these five considerations, try to think about them in reverse order. If you don’t have a sincere desire to run for office, the other considerations don’t really apply. Evaluating your own desire is the easiest part; you either have it or you don’t. Figuring out the rest is much more difficult.
On a cold January day, there are a lot of people working their way through these five questions. We will wait and see what they decide.
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