Want to Run for Office?
Three Kinds of LP Candidates
by Matt Clark, LPKS Candidate Recruitment
What kind of candidate for office are you?Be a Choice Candidate. Too many elections in Kansas are uncontested elections. Too many contested elections only have duopoly candidates as a choice. Being a Choice Candidate gives voters in your race a new option besides the Tiresome Two. It gives them the option to vote Libertarian! To be a choice candidate in a partisan election in 2022 you will need to:
- File the appropriate paperwork and seek the Libertarian Party nomination at the 2022 State Convention. After securing your nomination, voters will want to know more about their new choice!
- As a Choice Candidate, you should have a basic website with a quality headshot. The site should include a brief biography and the basics of why you are running for office.
- Candidates will receive numerous requests to fill out surveys. As a Choice Candidate, be prepared to fill out at least a few key surveys. With your basic information available to the public, you may receive media requests or hear from people who want to volunteer for your campaign.
- Since a Choice Candidate is not running an active campaign, it is a good idea to redirect those media opportunities or volunteers to more active Libertarian campaigns - for example, a neighboring campaign, or an active campaign up ballot? like Governor.
If running an active campaign for office is not right for you in 2022, consider running as a Choice Candidate!Be a Change Candidate. In addition to providing another choice on the ballot, our Change Candidates will be trying to change the hearts and minds of the voters to earn their votes! Earning votes takes time and effort, especially from someone who has never voted Libertarian.
- As a Change Candidate, you should have a detailed website and an active social media presence.
- Take the time to fill out key surveys, as these are a great way to reach voters. Survey answers are often presented side-by-side with your competition, offering a great opportunity to contrast the Libertarian message from the duopoly messages.
- An even better way to compare your message is to accept invitations to public forums. Yes - public speaking! Stand in front of a room of voters, next to the Democrat and Republican candidates, offering Libertarian solutions to the audience. If you want to change hearts and minds, speak to them directly!
- Another way to speak directly to the voters is to simply knock on their door. While you may not be running a full campaign, meeting voters at the door is a proven method to change hearts and minds.
- As a Change Candidate, you want to attempt modest fundraising. A moderately active campaign will cost money. Be prepared to either raise some money, or fund yourself. Depending on the race, this could be anywhere from $200-$1,000.
A Change Candidate will make an impact on the election and help grow the Libertarian Party. If you are ready to put yourself out to the public to change hearts and minds, consider running as a Change Candidate in 2022!Be a Challenge CandidateAre you ready to go all-in on a run for public office? That makes you one of our Challenge Candidates! Our Challenge Candidates will seriously challenge their opponents and work to win the election.
- Preparing to be a Challenge Candidate needs to start well before the 2022 State Convention. Our Challenge Candidates in 2020 all filed election paperwork prior to seeking the party’s nomination at the 2020 State Convention.
- A Challenge Candidate will need a campaign team. This cannot be done alone! Start considering now who may be able and willing to serve in roles such as campaign manager, social media director or treasurer. Who will be willing to door knock with you or set up a public event? These roles do not necessarily have to be filled at the beginning of your campaign. As you attract volunteers, how do you plan to utilize them? Creating a campaign team will be key to your success as a Challenge Candidate.
- Challenge Candidates will need a complete website and an active social media presence. As a Challenge Candidate, consider having a presence on multiple social media platforms.
- Fundraising is very important to you as a Challenge Candidate. For a State House-sized race, plan to raise at $2.000 to purchase print material, advertising, and a website.
- A serious challenge for public office requires being out in public frequently throughout the campaign. Hosting public events is a great way to spread your message, fundraise, and recruit volunteers.
- To challenge your opponents, you will need to take advantage of any media opportunities, fill out most of the surveys you receive, and attend public forums. Do not miss out on these big chances to reach voters!
- If you want to seriously challenge your opponents and win a seat, your campaign must be door knocking. It has proven time and time again to be the most effective method for earning votes. District-wide door knocking will require a team of volunteers. Attempting to canvas an entire district in a partisan race is a challenge, but it is a challenge I believe our Challenge Candidates will be able to make great strides towards in 2022!
If you are ready to go all in, challenge your opponents, recruit volunteers and donors, grow the Libertarian Party, and win a partisan race, then run as a Challenge Candidate in 2022!Interested? Contact me at Matt.Clark@LPKS.org.
Matt Clark currently lives in Overland Park with his wife and two year old daughter. He volunteers in the Candidate Recruitment role for LPKS. In 2020 Matt ran as a Challenge candidate for State House District 23.