How to Win a Political Campaign: Strategy & Tactics for Candidates in Local Elections
Hi! I’ve worked as a paid consultant and volunteer on numerous campaigns. I started Political Campaigning Tips to help candidates for elected office learn from my successes. Regardless of your party or the seat, the strategies and tactics on this website will help you win your local campaign.
Are you looking for advice on how to win a political campaign? My campaign philosophy is simple: anyone can run an excellent campaign for elected office and win, regardless of their background or experience. All it takes to win is hard work, discipline, and a positive attitude!
I’m a former political consultant, journalist, and elected official! I am passionate about helping local political candidates win their elections, and I’d love to help you. I don’t care about your political party, if you’re a man or woman, or if you’re young or old . . . I only care about your desire to win! Please sign up for my free newsletter to learn more about how to win your local election.
About Phil Van Treuren and PoliticalCampaigningTips.com
Phil Van Treuren
“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
That sentence — which my father wrote in a card he gave me when I graduated from college — is, I think, the most important thing that a candidate running for public office can remember. A good campaign plan, money in your coffers, and plenty of volunteers are all keys to winning a political campaign, sure . . . but none of these are as important as your willingness as a candidate to work hard.
Remember: when it comes to political campaigns, the harder it is to do, the more effective it is. Walking in a parade is easy… and it’s also some of the lamest campaignings you can do. Knocking on every door in your city to introduce yourself to residents is hard… but it’s also a very effective way to win votes.
My name is Phil Van Treuren, and I’ve worked on dozens of local, statewide and national campaigns over the last 15 years as a volunteer, paid campaign manager, and political consultant.
I’ve experienced both the joy of winning and the sting of losing hard-fought campaigns on election night. I’ve seen bad candidates get elected, and I’ve seen great candidates come up short.
I’m also an elected official myself and have had the honor of serving as a councilman at-large in my city for three rewarding terms. I know that most people run for office to make a positive difference in their community. For candidates like myself, who look at elected office as a vehicle that will allow them to help their neighbors, a good political campaign is the first step in realizing that dream.
Political Campaign Tips
My daughter, Sophie, with one of Dad’s campaign signs.
I started the Political Campaigning Tips blog to share lessons I’ve learned with new (and seasoned) election candidates on the campaign trail. I’ve had a lot of wins on the campaign trail, but I’ve also made plenty of mistakes . . . and I hope you can use this website to learn from my successes and failures.
This site isn’t geared toward one political party or the other, and you won’t see any partisan bashing here. Just a good, solid, common-sense political campaign strategy that can be used by anyone who wants to run for office and make their community a better place to live.
Please check out our campaign strategy archives, and feel free to drop me a note if you have any campaign questions I can answer. I love answering questions from readers and will keep your name and race between us if I publish the answer on this website. In this post, you can check out one of the campaign questions I’ve answered for a reader.
Furthermore, we provide all Kansas forms and templates to support your needs, from property agreements to business contracts.
Transactional Documents
The Kansas bill of sale is a simple yet essential document that records a transaction between a buyer and a seller for various types of personal property. It serves as proof of purchase and typically includes the date of sale, purchase price, and descriptions of the items sold.
For motor vehicles, the Kansas vehicle bill of sale is specifically tailored to capture details such as make, model, VIN, and sale price, which are crucial for registration and legal ownership transfer processes.
Similarly, the Kansas trailer bill of sale is used when buying or selling a trailer. It documents specifics like the trailer type, identification number, and conditions of the sale to ensure both parties have legal documentation of the transaction.
Real Estate Documents
The Kansas lease agreement outlines the terms under which a tenant agrees to rent property from a landlord, including duration, rent amount, and maintenance obligations. This contract is foundational for a clear rental relationship, setting out the rights and responsibilities of each party.
An eviction notice in Kansas is a formal document issued by landlords to tenants to address lease violations or termination of tenancy. This notice specifies the reason for eviction and provides a timeline for the tenant to remedy or vacate the property.
The Kansas quit claim deed is often used to transfer property quickly between parties who know each other well, such as family members. It conveys whatever interest the grantor has in the property but does not provide any warranty that the title is clear of claims.
The Kansas transfer on death deed allows property owners to name a beneficiary who will receive their real estate upon their death, bypassing the probate process. This deed simplifies the estate settlement process and gives the property owner peace of mind.
Financial and Legal Agreements
A Kansas promissory note is a binding legal agreement in which one party promises to pay a definite sum to another. It typically includes details about the loan amount, interest rate, and repayment schedule. This document is enforceable in court and provides security to the lender.
Health and Estate Directives
A medical power of attorney in Kansas grants a trusted individual the authority to make healthcare decisions on the grantor's behalf if they cannot do so. This ensures that medical treatment aligns with the individual’s preferences and is critical for planning future healthcare.
A living will in Kansas articulates an individual's wishes regarding medical treatments and life-sustaining measures if they become incapacitated. This document guides healthcare providers and family members in making decisions that respect the patient's wishes.
Comprehensive Legal Authorities
The last will and testament in Kansas allows a person to detail how their assets should be distributed after their death. It designates an executor to manage the estate and ensures that the individual’s final wishes are respected and implemented.
The durable power of attorney in Kansas empowers a designated agent to handle various financial, legal, and sometimes medical affairs for the principal. This document is especially useful if the principal becomes incapacitated and ensures continuous management of the principal's affairs under all circumstances.
The power of attorney form in Kansas provides a legal mechanism for appointing someone to manage specific or general affairs on behalf of the principal. This form can be tailored to suit various needs, from broad legal authority to specific tasks.
Our Most Recent Political Campaign Strategy Posts
Guest Post Focus: Doing Political Campaign Opposition Research on Yourself
The following guest post by Phil Van Treuren recently appeared on the CampaignNow blog.
Suppose you plan on running in a local election, and there is publicly available information about you that might hinder your campaign. In that case, it’s best to identify it before your opponent does. As a political campaign candidate, you should always assume that your opposition will discover–and leverage–any unflattering bits about your past.
The best way to prepare for this kind of negative campaigning is to do preemptive opposition research.
Sometimes a political candidate’s worst enemy is himself, especially if he is arrogant enough to assume that his opponents aren’t.
The Followup Postcard: One of the Best Campaign Tactics You Can Use
I mentioned earlier my extensive use of handwritten postcards in my first run for local office and how effectively they caught voters' attention as election day neared. However, the thousands of postcards I mailed at the end of my campaign weren’t the only hand-written assets I sent to residents; I also consistently mailed handwritten follow-up postcards to every person I ever met on the campaign trail soon after I made their acquaintance.
Although it also takes time and hard work, this tactic is effective on several levels.
As a first-time candidate, I got into the habit of always carrying a small notepad and pen with me, regardless of what I was doing; door-to-door campaigning, attending a local event, going to the grocery store . . . you name it. I frequently found myself running into people who lived in the community (especially during my door-to-door efforts, obviously). I always wanted to take advantage of every opportunity to introduce myself briefly and learn their names. After meeting new people, I would always write their names in my notebook and mail them a handwritten follow-up postcard as soon as possible.
Here’s something that many new political candidates don’t realize: most people don’t want to talk to you about your candidacy. They might be polite, shake your hand, and say hello, but they have busy lives and rarely want to spend more than a few seconds talking to a wannabe politician. As a candidate, when you do introduce yourself to a voter, it’s best to take up as little of their time as possible. Just say hello, tell them your name and what you’re running for, and let them know they can contact you if they have any questions about your candidacy.
The handwritten follow-up postcard is a great way to extend that initial introduction without being overbearing or annoying. Your new acquaintance will be impressed to get a handwritten message from you so quickly, reinforcing your name in their head. Additionally, every person you mail a follow-up postcard to should be added to your campaign contact spreadsheet and kept up-to-date with future information about your campaign.
If you have your registered voter list, then there shouldn’t ever be a reason to ask someone for their address or mail them a follow-up postcard. Make sure you write their names down on your notepad after meeting them so you don’t forget. Then, back home, check your voter list — if they are registered voters, their address will be on the list. (This is even easier when you go door-to-door because you’ll meet people at their homes and can write down the addresses immediately.)
As for what kind of postcard you should use, I designed a campaign postcard specifically for follow-ups, with my photo and campaign themes on one side and a blank field for writing on the other (these are cheap to print out in bulk at local printers). You could just as easily use pre-printed generic postcards from the store if you want. Or, if you want to make an impression, you could even send them a lengthier thank-you card in an envelope (this is more expensive, though, because you’ll need to use a first-class stamp rather than a cheaper postcard stamp to mail it).
Your message can be simple; it’s OK to do something along the lines of “Susan, it was a pleasure to meet you today! I’d be honored to get your support this November.” Make sure you hand-write the address, as well, and put it in the mail as soon after meeting the person.
As I mentioned earlier, this is a tactic that your opponents are almost certainly not going to use because it’s challenging to do. You’ll probably meet hundreds of new people throughout your campaign, and sending them an immediate, handwritten postcard is time-consuming and costs postage. It’s also an extremely effective way to familiarize voters with your name and make a great first impression.
If you’re doing everything that you should be on the campaign trail, you should have a batch of follow-up postcards to mail every morning in the last few months of your campaign. Just remember every postcard you pop in the mail will end up in the hands of a voter who will be impressed that you took the time to write them a personal message. And that means that they’ll remember your name fondly when they go to the polls.
A Secret Weapon for Your Political Campaign: Handwritten Messages
There’s no doubt that electronic devices make our lives easier and are essential for political campaigns. I can’t imagine trying to win a local election without the benefits of social media, spreadsheets, laser printers, and Photoshop. But the ever-increasing popularity of electronic tools has had one nasty side effect: the loss of handwriting. Writing by hand — for communication and note-taking — is becoming increasingly common. Schools are even scaling back handwriting classes, and they’ll likely stop teaching cursive shortly.
However, for those who still enjoy writing things out by hand, here’s the good news: as our society becomes more reliant on electronics for communication, hand-written assets will only gain effectiveness in business, personal relationships, and political campaigns.
Most political campaign literature is only looked at for a few seconds by voters before they throw it into the trash. The intelligent candidate does everything possible to get voters to hold onto literature and look at it for a few more seconds before it goes into the garbage. Handwritten messages are one of the most effective ways to lengthen the lifespan of your literature and get voters to look at it longer.
Although mail regulations don’t allow you to put muchly handwritten messaging on bulk mail, that isn’t the case for first-class mailed postcards, door cards that you drop in neighborhoods, and mailed thank-you cards. There are numerous opportunities for you to incorporate handwritten assets into your campaign, and you should take advantage of all of them.
To increase the effectiveness of your door cards, consider leaving a blank white space in the design that allows you to create a short handwritten message on each one. Grab a Sharpie marker and scribble out something like “Hope I can count on your vote!” on every one of your door cards before you hit a neighborhood. It might take a while to do, but it’s well worth the effect it will have on residents when they see that you wrote out a note for them. (I can’t stress how much I love Sharpie markers for this reason. I think they’re one of the most valuable campaign tools a candidate in a local election can have on hand.)
How Going Big With Handwritten Notes Helped Me Win My Local Election
Knowing how effective handwritten communication was in local elections, I made it a cornerstone of my first campaign for office. Twelve months before election day, I had 10,000 postcards with my photo and campaign logo on the front, but they were completely blank on the back.
With my registered voter spreadsheet handy, I spent a year penning handwritten postcards to every voter in my city. My message was simple:
Dear Smith Family:
Please don’t forget to vote next Tuesday! It would be an honor to get your support this year.
Sincerely,
Phil Van Treuren
I even hand-wrote the addresses on each postcard. It took me every bit of a year to finish writing out the 10,000 postcards, and to do it; I had to dedicate every spare minute of my time to writing (even if I was relaxing in front of the TV, I had a stack of postcards and a pen with me on the couch).
When I was done, I put a first-class postcard stamp on everyone (yes, it was expensive to mail them all first-class, but it ended up being well worth it). The week before election day, I took my boxes of handwritten postcards to the post office and dropped them in the mail.
The effect was precisely what I had hoped: dozens of people contacted me to say how impressed they were to receive a personal, handwritten card from a political candidate (something they had never seen before). The voters remembered me on election day, and I was the top vote-getter in my at-large city council race, even though three popular incumbents were running against me.
Even today, receiving a handwritten note from someone is so rare that it’s almost remarkable. Handwritten messages used to be commonplace, but today they are extraordinary. When receiving a genuine handwritten note, they hold it longer and appreciate it more. They’re less likely to throw it away because they know someone took the time to scribble it personally.
Companies that churn out bulk mail know this very well; that’s why you often see junk letters with auto-printed addresses that are formatted to look as much like actual handwriting as possible. If a letter has a handwritten address on it, then it’s much more likely to be opened. At the very least, the recipient will spend a long time looking at the envelope before tossing it into the garbage.
Fortunately, printing technology has not advanced enough to produce automated addressing indistinguishable from actual handwriting (well, perhaps it has, but it’s expensive). An actual, handwritten address or message — even if it’s poorly penned — is still much more effective at holding the attention and persuading a recipient.
Someday, there will be affordable computer programs and printers that will allow you to type out a message and print out hundreds of copies of it in your handwriting — and it will be impossible to tell if it’s accurate or automated. Today, however, it’s a reality that hand-writing your communications will make your efforts much more effective . . . even though it might be more complex and time-consuming to do.
Remember my most important mantra for political candidates: the harder it is, the better it works. Writing vast amounts of messages out by hand might be very difficult, but it’s also very effective in local elections.
My handwritten postcards probably wouldn’t have won the race by themselves; I had laid a great foundation with extensive door-to-door efforts, direct mail, phone calls, and much more. But the postcards were a unique final touch that impressed the voters with how hard I would work for them. No other candidate took the time to write them personally to ask for their support, and I was rewarded at the polls for the extra work I had done.
If you are a hardworking candidate who can effectively utilize handwritten assets in your campaign, then it could be just the strategy you need to win your local election. And here’s some more not-so-secret info that should motivate you to whip out a pen: your opponents are, quite simply, NOT going to hand-write anything.
Because it’s so difficult to do, 99 percent of political candidates will not take the time to hand-write vast amounts of communications to voters. Even if they knew it would win them the election, they would still give up after writing a few hundred postcards; most candidates just don’t have the patience and fortitude to stick with it.
Don’t be like most candidates. If you want to win your election, then do what it takes. Running a campaign that effectively uses handwritten assets may be difficult, but it’s one of the most effective strategies you can use.
After I had spent a year writing out 10,000 personal messages to all of my city's registered voters, I developed a noticeable callus on my finger; in fact, the callus is still there to this day. When the numbers came in on election night, though, all of those seemingly endless hours of writing — and the cramps in my hand that came with it — seemed like a walk in the park. That’s what the joy of winning an election will do for you.