Ten essential campaign tips:

Advice from one candidate to another

About my journey:

My name is Suzanne Oshinsky. I am running for County Council in Harford County, MD in November. I was inspired to run for office by the work we did on the Allison for Congress Campaign here in Maryland. In #TeamAllison we knocked on more doors than I could ever count and pushed ourselves to call people, write letters, and hand out flyers nearly every weekend. We made connections with hundreds of people and built a true community. I am thankful for the amazing new friends I have.

I also learned an immense amount about the whole inner workings of politics, as well as what I am capable of. I went from being a helper, to starting to take charge and manage a campaign, to being a candidate myself. I am fortunate that my political journey is continuing.

While the primary campaign for Allison has sadly ended, I will have my own election night in less than 4 months. When I reach that night, no matter what the outcome, I hope I will be able to look back and reflect on new accomplishments, new lessons from a campaign trail of my own.

Here’s how to successfully maintain morale and support for your cause:

1. Model and be the change you seek, walk the talk. If you want others to follow you, you need to get your hands dirty in the tedious, but time tested method of winning support — canvassing, knocking on doors, person to person persuasion.
2. The candidate must bring in money. Literature and the paper required for it doesn’t grow on trees (or maybe it does?). But you need to cut it down and turn it into something and that requires resources and labor. That means money in a campaign is a necessary cornerstone. It seems evil, we want “money out of politics,” but on the other hand, peoples’ labor and gifts of resources need to be valued. This often requires decent remuneration. It’s not fair to continually ask others to give without giving in return.
3. Value your team. You need to pay key staff, if they are spending significant time, and give them accolades and recognition and a prestigious title. Volunteers need gratitude too, but also food and drink and generally a pleasant camaraderie and and sense of common purpose. Which brings me to the next point.
4. Create community and a sense of belonging. People want to be part of something larger than themselves, and as in all endeavors, we are so often stronger together. We are creating a community in order to improve our communities.
5. Your campaign community needs to reflect your values. Otherwise, you’re a hypocrite! But truly, it takes practice on micro scales to attain change at a micro level. For me, that means being accessible to all, making an all abilities friendly environment, family friendly policies for working and volunteering parents and caregivers — bring your child with you, include each and every one that wants to take part in a way that they are able and holds significance to them, and value and accommodate a variety of strengths and talents.
6. Keep lines of communication flowing. Never assume you know what is in another’s head or vice versa. Written communication is great for keeping track and not forgetting agreed upon agendas. Verbal communication develops rapport and openness to other’s ideas and especially community. Be open and honest in communications, to develop trust that your word is reliable. Don’t stop communicating, but notice how often you are silent as well and give space for others.
7. Plan ahead and stick to your plans. Put your plans on paper, break down tasks into doable bites. Time your tasks so they build towards the important events and don’t overwhelm you all at once. Keep your plan all together in one easy to access location and have an easily searchable repository for supporting information. Schedule recurring tasks, so they become routine habits. Set up a system of organization to track your progress that is easy to maintain, so that you can gain a sense of accomplishment and stay consistent.
8. Schedule regular meetings with staff and volunteers. Make sure you have an agenda. Meetings are crucial for reviewing and revising plans, offering support and boosting morale. Stick to your regularly scheduled meetings and value other’s time by not cancelling last minute or not showing up or not having an agenda. This is one way of developing trust, and a sense that you are reliable and keep your word will go a long way towards people wanting to continue working with you and making an effort on your behalf.
9. Review and revise. Accept criticism. Learn from each mistake. It’s all an opportunity to learn, to improve skills and ultimately, to gain confidence that you are good enough, smart enough and people like you and want to vote for you!
10. Finally, express gratitude. Write thank you notes, give verbal praise and public recognition, social media call outs to your staff and volunteers and voters. Don’t forget, you are only as good as your team and your team deserves a chance in the spotlight as well!

Find out more about Suzanne and her journey on her campaign site or by reading her blog.