Political Campaign Tips and Strategies

Campaign Website Mistakes That Cost You Votes (and How to Fix Them)

Would you make a campaign stump speech, stop 90% of the way through, drop the mic, and walk off the stage? Would you send a print piece with half your message—and leave the rest blank? Of course not. Yet many political campaign websites do exactly that. They explain...

What To Know Before You Accept Political Donations Online

As costs and technical barriers have dropped, political campaigns of all sizes are now raising money on the web. Today, even local candidates can easily set up an online donation page.

What Happens If You Miss a Campaign Filing Deadline?

Missing a campaign filing deadline isn’t a small mistake. In many cases, it ends your campaign before it begins. Every cycle, first-time candidates assume there’s some flexibility built into the process. They might assume there's a grace period or a way to explain...

Can You Run for Local Office With a Full-Time Job?

Yes. People run for local office with a full-time job all the time. But it’s rarely easy. Most first-time candidates ask this question quietly before they ever say it out loud. They’re not wondering whether they care enough about the issues. They’re wondering whether...

Should You Run for Local Office? A Practical Self-Assessment for First-Time Candidates

Running for local office doesn’t begin with paperwork. It begins with deciding whether you’re ready for what comes with it. Local races are often described as small or community-based. Sometimes they are. Other times, they’re competitive, personal, and a lot tougher...

Tactics for Conducting Digital Political Opposition Research

In local elections, details matter. A past vote.A statement at a town meeting.An old Facebook post that resurfaces two weeks before Election Day. Opposition research today happens online. Even in city council, school board, and county races, digital research can shape...

Why Starting Your Campaign Website Early Makes Sense

Most candidates don’t decide they need a website on their own. It’s usually when someone else points it out. That’s usually the moment candidates start thinking seriously about their online presence.

Run a Local Political Campaign Without Overcomplicating It

Most local political candidates assume the hardest part will be fundraising, messaging, or voter outreach. In practice, most local political campaigns struggle much earlier—when candidates build systems that don’t match the scale of a small local campaign. Running for...

2026: Running for Office as an Online Candidate – The Book

Running for Office as an Online Candidate: Web Strategies for Local Campaigns, is available in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com. The book is packed with useful strategies and provides a blueprint for digital political campaigns. Key Topics Covered: Crafting...

How Much Should Your Political Campaign Budget For Digital?

Digital campaigning has changed dramatically in the last decade, and so has the amount campaigns are expected to invest online. Back in 2018, political digital spending reached $1.9 billion — almost 20% of all political ad spending at the time, according to Borrell...