Navigating Friendships on the Campaign Trail: Pros and Cons of Working with Friends

A few months ago I got a text from a high school friend telling me he was running for office. I had an immediate flood of emotions.

He’s gonna be great! This is so exciting! But…why? Why would he do this to himself? He has no idea how hard campaigning is. Can I help him understand? What if I scare him away? Can I help him be a better candidate? What if he mistakes my advice or opinions for a lack of support? What if I cross a line in constructive criticism that he takes personally? Can we work productively together? Maybe my systems will work really well for him. Maybe it’ll be a great time!

But maybe it won’t. What if he doesn’t do his part? What if he turns out to be a sell out? What if he’s lazy, undisciplined, or not mindful of the influence and access he’s building? What if he’s an abusive candidate? What if we have the opposite problem and he’s so good that I burn all my boundaries to the floor bending over backward to help him?

I’ve worked with friends on campaigns several times, both as the candidate and the staff. I’ve also built really strong friendships from coworker/peer/client relationships during campaigns that carry on into future working relationships.

It can be so much fun! It can also be a trap.

On one hand, the camaraderie and trust that come with friendship can be invaluable in a high-stakes, high-stress situation. On the other, mixing personal relationships with power dynamics and an unforgiving industry can be risky.

Here are some pros and cons to consider when working with friends on the campaign trail.

1. Trust:

Pro: Friends often bring a level of trust that’s hard to find elsewhere. Their commitment to your cause can be unwavering, and their belief in your skills can be a powerful motivator for the entire team. They also take your wins and losses personally and will strategize to protect your campaign from as many pain points as possible. And, embarrassing things happen from time to time — it’s nice to be able to know it’ll be kept secret.

Con: Personal trust and professional trust are not the same thing. I know people I would trust with my life, but would never send to staff an event — and vice versa. Make sure any trust you are giving your friend on the campaign trail is actually earned. Pay attention to the quality of their work, the way they treat the team, and their ability to navigate tense situations. If you’re confusing the type of trust that lets you spill secrets with the trust needed to execute winning strategy, you’re going to get burned.

2. Effective Communication:

Pro: With friends, communication can be more open and honest. You’re more likely to have candid conversations, making it easier to address problems and find solutions quickly. You don’t have to hide behind a professional facade when you screw up, and can just get to the heart of the matter quicker.

Con: Professional communication can hurt friendships when taken personally. You may be saying “please do a better job of cutting turf” but they may hear “you suck at life go die in a hole.” That’s an exaggeration, but not much of one. Campaign operatives are paid to hold people accountable, and that accountability can sound like personal failure to the wrong personality or if delivered incorrectly.

3. Strategic Thinking:

Pros: In theory, you should have a pretty good grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of your friends and be able to point them in the right direction. It should also be easy to bounce ideas off each other without fear of judgment — thereby coming to faster, more creative strategic solutions.

Cons: In reality, close personal relationships on the campaign trail create a biased perspective, making it difficult for friends to provide impartial advice, critique, or make decisions based purely on what’s best for the campaign rather than coming from a place of emotion. Do you really need to respond to that hit piece, or is your friend upset on your behalf and letting it cloud their judgment?

4. Political skills:

Pro: Being tight with your Campaign Manager or Field Director can make it much easier to get the resources you need and advocate for your portion of the campaign. When you are familiar with their thinking and systems and are confident in their ability to deliver, it makes the whole campaign run more smoothly and reduces the mental and emotional labor of not having to worry about something being done.

Cons: Our friends are often not quite as talented or well-trained, objectively, as we think they are through our rose-colored glasses. At least not so talented that we don’t have to pay attention. It is really easy to miss things when you’re giving someone an undeserved benefit of the doubt. And it creates toxicity for other staff you are working with that they have to prove themselves more than this other person. When conflicts arise, having difficult conversations with friends can be emotionally challenging. It may be harder to address performance issues objectively.

5. Loyalty:

Pro: Loyalty in a personal relationship is one of the most important aspects. “This person has my back no matter what” allows for comfort and emotional intimacy that helps meet the human need for connection.

Con: Loyalty in politics breeds corruption. We can very much like and respect someone, be helpful as much as possible, and cheer them on. We must draw the line at letting our personal feelings about them get in the way of our values or holding them accountable for wrongdoing. SO MUCH of the problem in politics is because personal loyalties rise above public good, and we should steer clear of situations that increase that risk.

None of this is to say that you shouldn’t work with your friends — whether as fellow team members, hiring them onto your campaign if you’re running, or working for them if they run. It’s a small industry, and it’s honestly impossible to completely avoid. Plus, it can be A LOT of fun.

But you have to be intentional about your communication, professional requirements, work boundaries, and avoiding bias.

Questions about your campaign? Schedule a free 15 minute 1-on-1 consultation with us now.

Written by Eva Posner, President and Founder of Evinco Strategies.