The 5Ws of Running for Office: A Guide to Managing Your Time and Energy

Running for political office is a major life decision.

Like getting married, having a baby, buying a house, or changing jobs — it will have impacts on your entire life.

Campaigning does not happen in a silo. Increased time and attention demands can feel overwhelming when balancing a job or two, family/friend commitments, and community involvement.

There are only ever 24 hours in a day…no matter how long the to-do list gets.

At minimum, you’ll need to go door-knocking, dial for dollars, and go to events. You may also need to attend meetings, study up on issues, participate in interviews, fill out hours-long questionnaires, appear in the media and debates, and engage in consistent conversations with supporters.

Essentially you are signing yourself up for anywhere from 15–80 hours of work per week (depending on the size of the race). For free.

When you add in maintaining a job to pay your bills, being a present spouse and/or parent, caretaking responsibilities, and any other priorities you find yourself stretched thin. It’s no surprise working-class candidates are often full of stress, anxiety, and verging on burnout.

Adulting is hard. Leading is even harder.

At the beginning of a campaign, the candidate’s focus should be on building capacity. For the sake of your sanity, know that you cannot do it all yourself.

Running for office is a human experience. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and stressed, and it’s okay to ask for help.

Find team members who understand that you are a human being with multiple demands on your time. Set up systems that empower them to get things done without you, but keep you in the loop on the progress.

At Evinco, we focus on building the capacity of our candidates by taking as much off their plates as we can.

We are professionals who live and breathe campaigns for a living, but if you can’t afford consultants or a full time staff, you can still build capacity for yourself by answering the 5Ws.

Who:

• Who is responsible for what? Who holds them accountable/approves the final product? Who helps them when they are stuck? Who covers for them when they aren’t available? Workflow charts are your friend.

What:

• What actually needs to get done? What tools do you need to get it done? You’re going to feel like you need to do all the things. You do not. The key to winning without burning out is doing the most important things efficiently.

When:

• When are the campaign’s major deadlines? Fundraising? Filing? Public appearances? Voter contact phases? Due dates for endorsement considerations? Map them out and prioritize everyone’s time accordingly.

Where:

• Where are your voters? They get top priority. If there’s a Democratic Party event at the same time as a community event, go to the community event! The Dems won’t miss you and you’ll see them 50 more times next week.

Why:

• Why is this important? If it doesn’t get you 1) votes, 2) money, or 3) endorsements…it’s not worth your time or your team’s time. You’re going to have a lot thrown at you — a lot of it is bullshit. You need to be able to sort through the noise to protect yourself from burnout and your campaign from wasting resources.

By working with a team you can delegate tasks, develop a strategy, and manage your time and limited human energy.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. The mental and emotional toll of running for office is no joke. And while your community may need a hero, you are only human. (Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.)

This piece was written by Eva Posner, President & Founder of Evinco Strategies.

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