The list of challenges facing society is endless. Numerous financial and social problems affect the world and individual countries. And they also affect states, counties, cities, and even school districts and neighborhood policy councils. It’s time for fresh thinking and new ideas in the public arena; it’s time for more civic-minded people to get involved by running for—and winning—elected office.  

Run for Elected Office—and Win shows you how. It is designed to help readers make a positive impact on the world and in the communities in which they live. It starts with how to make a decision to run for a particular office and ends with how to proceed with a successful political career—and it covers everything else in between. This book helps readers:

• Learn the ins and outs of winning an election—from an author who’s done it!
• Understand how to plan and schedule a political campaign
• Employ the power of social media in gaining name recognition
• Learn how much money it takes to run a campaign and what it really takes to win

What you’ll learn

• Which office best suits your talents and interests
• Where and how to file
• How to plan and run your campaign, and how to raise money
• How to market yourself through traditional and Web-based social media
• How to build a staff and recruit a team of volunteers
• How to hone your message and manage the issues
• What to do when you win
• How to recover and forge ahead if you lose

Who this book is for

The book is a must-read for anyone serious about running for office. In any given election, there are 60,000 to 90,000 positions open in the United States. The number may be even higher if one accounts for school board elections, special political districts and boards, etc. This book is also for anyone angry about the current state of the political landscape and looking for ways to take charge.

Table of Contents

1. Run for It: Why the Future Depends on You
2. Pinpoint Your Passion
3. Pick the Position
4. Decide to Party or Be Non-Partisan
5. File to Run
6. Run: Draw Up Campaign Plans
7. Run: Hone Your Message
8. Run: Raise Money
9. Run: Create Campaign Literature
10. Run: Employ Traditional Campaign Media
11. Run: Employ Social Media
12. Run: Work Face to Face
13. Win
14. Lose
15. To Run Again--or Not