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The 2 Most Asked Questions About Grassroots Politics

I recieve a ton of e-mails every month asking questions on winning local elections.  The majority of these questions deal with grassroots politics – organizing a district, conducting canvasses, etc. In this article, I’m taking a look at the two most frequently asked questions I receive:  1.  How early should I start campaigning? This is one of [...]

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Building Political Coalitions

(This is a long article, but it’s worth it: building great political coalitions has been the secret to many local, state, and national campaigns’ success). Modern campaigns, whether national or local in nature, focus on building coalitions of people who are targeted by the campaign’s message. These coalitions do part of the work of the [...]

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Getting Ready to Run for Office – 8 Steps to Take Today

One mistake that most political candidates make during their first run for office is waiting too long to get started.  No matter what level office you are running for, or thinking of running for, it is never too soon to get started.  Of course, there are many activities that the candidate can’t perform until the campaign [...]

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The Pros and Cons of Starting Your Own Political Action Committee

Have you ever thought about starting your own political action committee (PAC)? If you have, you’re not alone. I often get questions about PACs, how to start them, and the pros and cons of running one. (If you’re not sure what a political action committee is, read Local Victory’s What are PACs? ) Today, we’re [...]

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Designing a Phenomenal Candidate Walk Piece

Every campaign, no matter how big or small, needs at least one simple piece of literature that conveys the basic message of the campaign and tells the voters who the candidate is.  This essential piece of literature is often called a “walk piece,” because it is the brochure that the candidate hands out as he or [...]

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What’s Your Political Yard Sign Strategy?

Despite their lowly reputation, political yard signs are an essential tool that campaigns both big and small use to help raise their candidate’s name identification and get their message out in front of the voters repeatedly.  In order to be successful, your campaign should take time in designing and printing your signs and in planning out [...]

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The #1 Tip for Republicans Running in Urban Districts

It’s a fact – Republicans don’t do well in urban districts.  Even in Midwest cities or sunbelt locales where the population is generally a little more conservative, GOP candidates still have trouble winning elective office.  Successful candidates like Rudy Guiliani, Bret Schundler, Steven Goldsmith and others prove that Republicans can win in big cities. Many times, [...]

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Why Politics Matters

Over more than a decade in politics, I’ve heard lots of derision of the political profession.  Elected officials, candidates, and political operatives of both parties make easy targets.  How often have you heard how bad politicians are, or had someone react with less then enthusiasm when you told them you were thinking about a career [...]

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Exploding Common Myths about Raising Political Money

Most political candidates don’t like raising money.  While we’ve talked on Local Victory before about why raising money for a campaign is not slimy, smarmy or evil, the fact is that many candidates and operatives still don’t like to do it.  For many of these folks, the reason is that they are holding on to [...]

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Following Up on Donor Pledges

At one time or another, every campaign has faced the problem of donors who pledge contributions but don’t ever make good on those pledges.  Campaigns count on the money that is pledged to pay for their political activities, and when contributions don’t come in, it can be a real problem.  A truism in fundraising is that [...]

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Raising Money From PACs

Soliciting donations from political action committees (PACs) is fundamentally different than raising money from individuals. PAC contributions are harder to get and take more work, especially for the local campaign. PAC managers are political professionals, and demand much more information from the campaign than the average individual donor. It takes hard work, creativity, and persistence, [...]

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Why Your Campaign HAS to go Door to Door

Door to door campaigning is an essential part of every political campaign.  Local campaigns realize the value of door-to-door efforts, and because they have limited funds incorporate this type of activity into their campaign plan.  Larger campaign sometimes fail to realize the power of door to door campaigning, and often include it only as an afterthought [...]

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