GETTING STARTED ON YOUR FIRST ELECTION CAMPAIGN

 You’ve made your decision to run for elected office, now what? After thinking things through and perhaps even conferring with friends and loved ones you are now moving forward and starting your campaign. But you’re not so sure of what you need to do.

Depending on the size of your race somethings may vary but below are some steps you will likely need to take.

• File the necessary paperwork with the authority governing your election, if you’re running for a city/tow/Village position that would be that city/town/village clerk. If you’re running for a county office Mayor, Commissioner, School Board or Community Council for example you need file with Miami-Dade Elections Dept. If you’re seeking a state seat like State Representative, State Senator or Circuit Court Judge you would need to file with the Florida Division of Elections and if you are aiming at a Congressional or US Senate seat you need to file with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). Keep in mind that after filing you will also need to QUALIFY which depending on the seat you are seeking may ask for other documentation such as proof of residency and certain financial disclosures (qualifying dates vary).
• Designating a campaign treasurer. In choosing a campaign treasurer you have three options, yourself, a close friend or relative that you trust or an accounting professional with experience in political campaign financial reporting.
• After filing your paperwork, you should open a campaign account. In order to open a campaign account, you will need a tax ID number which can be a new FEIN number specifically for the campaign (Recommended) or in some cases the candidate’s social security will suffice (Not Recommended).
• Give serious thought as too whether you will run your campaign or whether you want to hire a consultant. Regardless, you should obtain the names of some political campaign consultants and meet with them to at least get a feel from them as to what you need to do and how much that might cost. Whether you decide to hire one or not these meetings with consultants will give you additional perspectives into what you’ll need to do.

Once you’ve taken these steps your ready to start your campaigning. For more information you can also consult the Florida Division of Elections Handbook

I hope this was helpful and if you have any questions or need more information or clarification, please email me at emiliano@darkhorsestrategies.org