The Campaignguy Blog

Winning candidates don’t just talk about policies—they tell a story. A strong campaign narrative connects with voters on an emotional level, making them feel like they’re part of something bigger.   An effective campaign narrative will also humanize the candidate so that voters and supporters can identify with the story. What is a Campaign Narrative? Your narrative defines who you are and what you stand for and will develop a level of relationship between you and the voter.   It is important that you know who and what you are so that you are able to define yourself before an opponent has the opportunity. Your campaign narrative is the “wraparound” story that connects your values, message, and policy positions. It answers three key questions:   1.       Who are you? (Your background and experience – the part that connects you emotionally)   2.       Why are you running? (The value you add to the voter – what ...

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Humans versus Artificial Intelligence (AI) Artificial intelligence continues to shape our lives, from customer service bots to self-driving cars.   But it has also quietly entered, like an invasive species, another arena: political campaigns. The question voters now face is both unsettling and important — are we voting for real people, or for personas curated and crafted by AI? It’s no secret that campaigns are largely driven by image. From the first televised presidential debates to today's social media soundbites, candidates are packaged to appeal to different audiences. It seems like some consultants can design a candidate to fit any identity from sex, age, and height to race, religion or sexual preference.   Some of the candidates seem to be straight from central casting. Increasingly, and covertly, that packaging is no longer just the work of human consultants and strategists — it's progressively being generated, tested, and refined by artificial intelligence. H...

  The First Steps in Running for Office: What You Must Know Deciding to run for office is a big step, but before you announce your candidacy, there are some critical things you need to do. Whether you’re running for city council, state legislature, or Congress, these first steps will set the foundation for your campaign. 1. Know the Legal Requirements Before anything else, make sure you meet the legal qualifications to run. Check: Age and residency requirements Filing deadlines and paperwork Campaign finance laws (even small campaigns have reporting requirements) Professional qualifications for the position (i.e. judges usually have to have a certain level of legal experience and a license to practice law) Your local election office or Secretary of State’s website is a great place to start. The Campaignguy.com web site has a great resource page that directs you to a listing of Secretary of State web sites by state as well as links to help you get a federal campaig...

Anything important requires a plan! Before a pilot flies a plane, he files a flight plan. Before a professor or teacher begins their class, they develop a plan. Every building, from the tallest skyscrapers to the smallest backyard shed, requires a plan. Athletes on a court or a field have a plan for their games, and they practice those plans repeatedly before a match. But many people who want to run for elected political office jump into a campaign without a plan. Why would someone run for office without a plan? A well-organized campaign plan serves as your roadmap to victory. A campaign plan maps out how to use your time. A campaign plan will create a path for raising money, and then how to responsibly spend it. A campaign plan focuses you on paying attention to the most important information available in your political race and how to create a message, what the right message is, and who you need to reach. The PoliticalCampaign Desk Reference by Michael McNamara has...