Dallas County Democrats
How To Run For Office
This site is an ARCHIVE of the website used
for the Dallas County Democratic Party from 2000 to May of 2002, and which was built by the then Chair Bill Howell. Though some information
here will be relevant through the 2002 elections, other pages here are of interest for
history or research. For the
latest updated news about the Dallas County Democratic Party, see their own website at
www.dallasdemocrats.org.
This is it in a nutshell:
Tell people you're running and ask them to vote for you.
If they don't know you, tell them who you are and why you're running.
That's it. How do you do it?
There are lots of handbooks (and websites) available with advice about media, advertising, and all that. (The Texas Democratic Party has a list of several such websites on this page: www.txdemocrats.org/campaign-help.htm.) Read that material, and use it as needed.
But don't think that is enough to win elections.
Lots of high-priced consultants will try to make you think it is. That's what they know how to do, and they want you to pay them to do that. Many are very good at what they do.
When it comes down to individual voters at the grass-roots, what counts is just three things: walk, phone, mail.
- Knock on their doors and talk with them. If you can't reach most of them yourself, have volunteers help.
- Phone them and talk with them. Again, if you can't reach most of them yourself, have volunteers help.
- Write them and tell them your message. Have volunteers put out the mailings -- your time should be spent talking with voters.
Notice that I said talking WITH voters. When you do that, remember three things:
- Speak from the heart. Voters can tell if you are putting on a phony front. If you think you are too smart for them to see through you, then you are too stupid to hold office.
- Be positive. They are all tired of negative campaigning. Tell them what you are for.
- Listen. The real function of a campaign is not to educate voters about a candidate. It is to educate the candidate about the voters. How are you going to know their needs and problems, worries and fears, hopes and dreams if you don't listen to them?
Do this and you have a chance. All the other things - ads, signs, whatever - are just technical stuff you can get advice on. This is what really matters.
Have fun and good luck!
NOTE FOR COUNTY-WIDE CANDIDATES
For 2002 we already have more than one serious contender for Governor,
U.S. Senator, Lieutenant Governor, and other statewide races. But, even
with good candidates, there have been years like 1982, when our whole
statewide slate won, and years like 1998, when they all lost. What made
the difference? Teamwork.
In 1998, with a couple of exceptions, they were busy trying to distance
themselves from any other Democratic candidates and run all on their
own. It didn't work. In 1982 they all ran and campaigned together, and
each brought their own supporters out for the ticket as a whole. It was
a huge victory.
Both parties have a base percentage of voters, and in this county they
are nearly even. What matters is turnout. If just a few more Democrats
had come out to vote in 2000, Mary Ann Huey would have been elected
Judge. How do you increase the Democratic turnout? The key is Teamwork.
Dallas County has some two million people. Clearly you cannot knock on
all those doors, call all those phones, or even mail to every household.
Voters may say "I met a nice person running for Judge. If I remember
to go vote, I'll vote for them." Except for your own family and
friends, almost no one is going to go to the polls just to vote for you,
or for any candidate for judicial or county office. They go to vote for
candidates for high-profile offices like Governor or U.S. Senator - or
they go to vote for a party.
One candidate can't talk to everyone personally. But if every candidate
is urging people to go vote for all of their party's candidates, then
each candidate's supporters helps all of the other candidates. They all
reinforce each other and they all get more votes.
It's a lot easier to tell people to go vote for the Democratic ticket,
than to tell them to go vote for Ima Pseudonym for County Court At Law
District Seventy-nine, Place Eight. It's also a lot easier for the
voters to remember. And it gives them a lot more motivation to vote.
Some people say they don't vote because it won't make a difference. What
would make more of a difference: electing one good Judge, or electing a
whole slate of good candidates working together for a better world for
us all? Which is more likely to make someone get up, go to the polls,
stand in line, and cast a ballot?
All Democratic candidates need to work together, not run away from each
other. They all need to urge voters to support the Democratic ticket,
not just vote for them as an individual. Cooperation works. We've proved
it.
United we all win for everyone. Divided we all lose and so do the people.
--Bill Howell
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