Resources on Running for Office
Are you interested in running for elected office but not sure where to start? Here is a list of resources that can help you learn the skills necessary to run a campaign. Below is a list of organizations that host candidate training programs or manage other resources that help candidates run for office. Some have webinars you can access or other free resources. Some of these programs are targeted toward certain demographics and political parties. The League of Women Voters Ashtabula County does not endorse any of the programs below, and this information is for educational purposes only. List curated by LWV Ashtabula County Member, Ann Rapose.
Programs and Organizations:
National Council on Independent Living: For NCIL’s non-partisan Elevate: Campaign Training for People with Disabilities, please visit www.ncil.org/elevate.
American Majority: Conservative organization created to train conservative activists to run for office. Holds low-cost online training programs to train on running for office and improve skills to help you on the campaign trail. Also holds in-person training workshops for candidates and activists.
Arena: Progressive organization dedicated to training and supporting candidates and campaign staff through its training program, Arena Academy and conference, Arena Summit; a comprehensive and free toolkit of guides on campaign skills; and financial support for candidates.
The BLUE Institute: trains Millennials of color in the South and Southwestern United States to become leaders, strategists, and key staff members of progressive electoral campaigns.
Candidate Boot Camp https://candidatebootcamp.com is a team of experienced campaign professionals with a goal to democratize democracy by lowering the barriers to running for political office. We offer online candidate training and free resources to people who want to serve their fellow citizens but don’t have the budget to hire professional campaign consultants and staff.
Collective PAC: organization working to solve the issue of underrepresentation of African Americans in elected office. Runs the Black Campaign School, a multi-day training course.
Dare to Run: 501c3 organization offering female college graduates the opportunity to participate in a two-year certificate program in pursuit of a career path in public service.
Democracy for America: Grassroots-driven progressive PAC run by Howard Dean that recruits and trains progressive candidates.
Emerge America: in-depth, seven-month, 70-hour training program to train Democratic women interested in running for office. The state-level courses meet one weekend a month and cover topics including public speaking and communication, fundraising, media and messaging, networking, and campaign strategy. Trainers are campaign staff from across the country.
EMILY’s List: Provides training and resources for local and state-level progressive women candidates. For federal and gubernatorial candidates, EMILY’s list puts staff and funding to work to assist with these campaigns. Runs a new online training center to help women learn how to run for office.
Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund: Provides support to LGBT candidates running for office, including assessments of campaign viability, campaign training, financial support from their PAC and donors, strategic and technical campaign support, and campaign consultants and staff. Victory Institute is the organization’s training wing.
GOPAC: Provides training and funding to conservative leaders. Includes the Emerging Leaders program, which identifies and trains state-level conservative leaders for a year to lead the party.
Higher Heights: Organization devoted to supporting Black women in politics. Hosts the webinar series #BlackWomenLead, a political training series for Black women.
Leadership Institute: provides training to conservatives of all ages in campaigns, fundraising, grassroots organizing, youth politics, and communications.
National Democratic Training Committee: “Free campaign training for every Democratic candidate, everywhere” in four different areas: building field plans, fundraising, message and media, and management. Free and online campaign training.
National Federation of Republican Women: provides workshops, manuals, and trainings to Republican women interested in running for office.
New American Leaders Project: Training programs for first- and second-generation Americans who want to use their civic power. Programs include Ready to Lead, which teaches candidates how to use their heritage as a political asset; New American Fellows, a two-year fellowship selected from the Ready to Lead program that offers mentorship, political guidance, networking, and additional skill building; Ready to Win, which is advanced, boot camp-style training for New American Fellows and campaign staff; New American Leadership Academy, for newly-elected immigrant officials; and Power & Policy: New Americans in Elected Office, a conference which showcases legislative initiatives, offers networking opportunities, and enhances leadership skills.
New Leaders Council: organization dedicated to training progressive Millennials and anchored by its NLC Institute, a six-month intensive training experience carried out by chapters in around 50 cities and states across the country.
Political Resources online
Campaign How-To Library https://politicalresources.com/for-candidates
Progressive Change Campaign Committee: provides endorsements, small-dollar donations, and personalized trainings to PCCC-vetted candidates
ReflectUS Coalition: nonpartisan coalition of seven leading women’s organizations working to increase representation of women in politics.
Re:Power: (formerly Wellstone Action) organization dedicated to working with individuals and organization across the country to build inclusive politics, including through skills training and coalition building. Conducts a variety of training programs around campaign management, digital organizing, running for office, and governance.
She Should Run: 501(c)3 to encourage women from all backgrounds to run for office. This website offers free, online courses for women to gain leadership skills necessary for running for office.
Veterans Campaign: hosts training workshops to train veterans to run for public office. Also offers a MA in Public Leadership through the University of San Francisco.
VOICES of Conservative Women: holds run-for-office training for conservative women interested in public office.
Vote Run Lead: offers online resources and in-person trainings to women interested in running for office.
WeLead: Run by American University, WeLead is a four-day intensive training that addresses campaigns and elections, communication and message development, fundraising, public policy and government relations, and professional development.
Books
Here is a list of books that you can read to learn more about the campaign process: ( more links coming soon!)
- “The Art of the Political Campaign: How to Run for Elected Office with no Money, Name Recognition or Political Connections,” Brian Duewel
- “Becoming a Candidate: Political Ambition and the Decision to Run for Office,” Jennifer L. Lawless
- “Campaign Boot Camp 2.0: Basic Training for Candidates, Staffers, Volunteers, and Nonprofits,” Christine Pelosi
- “Don’t Just March, Run for Something: A Real-Talk Guide to Fixing the System Yourself,” Amanda Litman
- “How to Get Elected to State and Local Office: A Beginner’s Guide,” Timothy Hickman and Catherine Hickman
- “How to Run for Local Office,” Robert Thomas and Barb Gunia
- “How to Run For a Political Office and Win: Everything You Need to Know to Get Elected,” Melanie Williamson.
- “How to Run For a Political Office and Win: Everything You Need to Know to Get Elected,” Melanie Williamson.
- “The Political Campaign Desk Reference: A Guide for Campaign Managers, Professionals, and Candidates Running for Office,” Michael McNamara
- “Represent: The Woman’s Guide to Running for Office and Changing the World,” June Diane Raphael and Kate Black.
- “Run Jane Run…We Need You in Office!: Why Women Are a Natural fit for Politics and How to Get More of Them Elected,” Maria Rodriguez and Liz Samuel Richards
- “Run: Your Personal Guide to Winning Public Office,” Marian Walsh
- “Running, Winning, Serving: The Candidate’s Guide to Local Elections,” Craig W. Turner
- “The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns,” Sasha Issenberg
- “Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way: A Comprehensive Guide for Candidates and Campaign Workers,” Jeff Blodgett and Bill Lofy
Useful Websites
A great resource is the Secretary of State Publications https://www.ohiosos.gov/publications/
Here you will find tabs for : Elections including forms and petitions, Campaign Finance including a Campaign Finance Handbook, Candidates including a Candidates Requirement Guide.
County Commissioners Association of Ohio, “County Commissioners Handbook”
Ohio Municipal League, “Mayors Association of Ohio”
Ohio Revised Code, “Chapter 305: Board of County Commissioners, Generally”
Ohio Revised Code, “Chapter 505: Trustees (Townships)
Ohio Revised Code, “Chapter 731: Organization (Municipal Corporations)”
Ohio School Boards Association, “Running for a School Board”
Ohio Secretary of State, Campaign Finance
Ohio Township Association, “Township Elections” Townships 101
Run for Office, Ohio
Vote Smart, “Ohio Campaign Finance and Local Election Offices” also info on current office holders