Running for
Local Office:
Interviews with Two City Councilmen
Seeking public office is not
something that many individuals think seriously about tackling.
Among the barriers encountered are a lack of knowledge about the process
and a misapprehension that seeking an elective office is not a realistic
undertaking for individuals without prior political experience or deep
pockets. But these obstacles are easily overcome and the reality is
not as forbidding as it might seem.
Scott Grayson and Chris Currie are
two IEEE-USA staff members who believed so strongly in the
importance of community involvement and public service that they ran and were elected to local
office. Scott Grayson serves as a city councilman in Golden
Valley, Minnesota. Chris Currie is a city councilman in Hyattsville,
Maryland. Both were elected in their 30s and both have
families. Both have been able to balance the demands of public
office with their professional and family responsibilities. In their
answers to the following 20 questions, they explain how and
why.
1. Tell us a little bit about
your new office (responsibilities, term, pay/benefits) and your district?
Chris Currie: I am a
City Council member in Hyattsville, Maryland, an older, inner-ring suburb
of Washington, D.C. My term runs from May 1999- May 2003. My
colleagues and I set budget and policy for the City and perform
constituent service in our respective wards. I also have served as
founding chairman of two City Committees concerned with city planning and
redevelopment issues. Council members receive a nominal salary but most of
our compensation is the satisfaction we receive from helping create a
better quality of life for the City's residents.
Scott Grayson: I was
elected in November 2001 as a Golden Valley City Council member. We have a
schedule B form of municipal government in the State of MN. That type of
government has a weak mayor system. In addition, the entire city council
is made up of members at large and is non partisan. Council members pay is
approximately $8,100 per year. We are eligible for the state pension fund
(PERA).
2. Why did you decide to run
for public office in the first place?
Chris Currie: I moved
to the City after getting married in late 1997, and soon became involved
in a couple of civic organizations. That activity acquainted me with some
of the pressing issues facing the City. What prompted me to throw my
hat in the ring was the discovery that the City had never put together a
comprehensive plan for achieving its objectives, nor did it have any
communications and marketing programs for correcting some negative images
that were hampering its ability to draw on outside resources. I
believed that I could become a catalyst for such efforts.
Scott Grayson: There
were a number of issues that I saw needed some improvement. Rather than
complain about it I decided to seek elected office. Among the two top
issues were: (A) There was no sense of community. I wanted to promote
community through events such as parades, fireworks, music and art in the
park, and block parties; and (B) the current council at the time was very
closed and inaccessible. Over time they grew to have disdain for the
residents. It appeared that
that the council was no longer interested in citizen input.
3. What was the first thing you
did to prepare yourself to run?
Chris Currie: First I
took an inventory of all my nonprofessional activities, including church,
volunteer and family responsibilities. Then I worked with my wife to
see where and how I could fit in the considerable new duties city office
would bring, including eliminating or limiting my involvement in some
nonessential activities. The things you absolutely need are support
of your family and the time necessary to fulfill your responsibilities
should you be elected.
Scott Grayson: I did
a lot of research on the city of Golden Valley--its history, demographics,
past and present city councils and their actions. I put together an
extensive list of the issues facing the city and its residents. Then I
prioritized them in an order of what I believed to be the most important
to the least important. Then I started to talk to as many residents as
possible to get their input.
4. What is the formal process
for entering an election race as a candidate?
Chris Currie: That
varies from one jurisdiction to another. Often it requires
submitting a petition containing signatures of a certain number of
voters. In my case, all I had to do was file a short form with the
City Clerk declaring my candidacy.
Scott Grayson: Go
to city hall fill out a one page application and pay $5.
5. What resources (time, money,
help, etc.) do you need to run an effective local campaign?
Chris Currie: Most of
the resources you need for a local campaign are internal ones:
determination, persistence and stamina. Because you're dealing with
a relatively small number of voters, most campaigning involves
face-to-face contact with your prospective constituents. Going
door-to-door on evenings and weekends was the bulk of my campaign.
However, I also developed collateral materials, including a concise flyer
that I handed to residents on visits and mailed to all registered voters
in my ward, as well as an interactive campaign Web site that I publicized
in my flyer and on wallet cards I handed to people every chance I got.
Scott Grayson: The
most important resource is people. Once you realize you can't do it alone
and that it is ok to ask people for help--you are set. My city has 8
election precincts. I found 8 people to serve as precinct captains and
told them to get people to help them. They were responsible for leafleting
and distributing lawn signs in their precincts. That worked extremely
well. In addition, the precinct captains and I drafted block leaders to be
responsible for getting the word out to their blocks. I also formed a
steering committee consisting of people with the following skills:
- Finance
- Web Design
- Marketing
- Public Policy
- Graphic Art Design
- Representatives from different
age groups
- Kids
6. How much money did your
campaign cost and where did you get it?
Chris Currie: I spent
about $200, most of it for bulk-mailing of my flyer. The address
list of voters in my ward was obtained for less than $20 from the County
Board of Elections, and I used that also to identify which homes to visit.
A neighbor who manages a local printing company printed my flyers for
free. Another neighbor who is a professional photographer produced my
campaign photos at no charge. The Web site was created on space
donated on a colleague's Web server (there are also many free
advertiser-supported Web hosting services). I also spent about $10
on refreshments for my stand at the polling place on election day.
Because the costs were low, I didn't bother doing any fundraising and paid
expenses out of my own pocket.
Scott Grayson:
$3000. I sent letters to the community, friends and family
announcing that I was running for office. I gave them options of
volunteering, and/or making a monetary contribution. The $3000 I raised
was enough to pay for lawn signs, flyers and mailings.
7. How did you develop a
platform of issues to run on?
Chris Currie: My platform
evolved out of my experience in community involvement, attending Council
meetings, reading the local newspaper, and talking with and listening to
people in my neighborhood. It's usually pretty easy to identify what
your jurisdiction's key challenges are; then you use your knowledge,
experience and creativity to come up with proposals to address them.
Engineers are good problem-solvers, so you have the tools you need to
build a good platform if you've done your homework.
Scott Grayson: I had
my own preconceived notions about what needed to be improved in the city
and then went out door knocking and found out a lot more. Make the message
simple, choose one that resonates with the most amount of people, don't be
too critical of the incumbents (depends on where you are in the US but
generally people want to hear a positive upbeat message). When I was door
knocking people would ask me, "There are 7 other candidates what sets
you apart from the rest." My response was, "I am the only one
who isn't angry!"
8. How do you go about building
political alliances?
Chris Currie: The
foundations of your political alliances at the local level are your
relationships. Neighbors and fellow members of your church and
community organizations form your first corps of potential
supporters. If you have a partisan election, then local political
organizations also play a role, but in local elections most people vote
for whom they know and like more than for whom shares their political
beliefs. Then you look at your platform and find stands on issues
that might mobilize support for you among community interest groups
(education, environment, business, seniors, etc.). You might want to
seek endorsements from prominent community leaders and include them on
your flyer, or merely try to get supportive influentials to promote your
candidacy through word of mouth. If your stands are controversial,
then it helps to have supporters work their own networks of like-minded
individuals rather than trumpet your alliances to the entire electorate.
Scott Grayson: In the
state of Minnesota you need to be very careful how you build political
alliances. For example, by law I am not allowed to necessarily build a
political alliance with more than one member of the council on any given
issue due to the open meeting law that we must adhere to. However, I do
meet with and speak to civic, religious and local community groups. In
addition, I meet with my district state, county and federal legislators on
a regular basis to keep them apprised of our municipal issues. Sometimes
these contacts are very helpful.
9. What role did volunteers
play in your campaign (how did you recruit them, how did you manage
them, what types of contributions did they make to your ultimate
success)?
Chris Currie: My
campaign was mostly a family operation. My wife provided most of the
support with mailing and organizing my door-to-door itinerary, as well as
doing some house visits on my behalf, while my six-month-old daughter
accompanied me on most of my campaigning in a backpack. (To this day
I still wonder whether most people voted for me or for them!) For a
small local campaign, a lot of volunteers aren't necessary, and I wonder
if having too much of an entourage might rub some voters the wrong
way. On the other hand, being accompanied by supportive family
members tends to provoke a positive response in most people.
Scott Grayson: I
formed a steering committee made up of people with skills that I needed
Sought volunteers to serve as precinct captains (8 were needed). Sought
block captains who were responsible for getting the word out on their
block. Sought a chair for the lawn sign committee. The volunteers played a
huge role in my successful campaign. I could not have done it without
involving as many people as possible. A large part of a municipal election
is word of mouth. The more people that are involved in your campaign the
more votes you can usually count on.
10. What types of things did
you do to gain public visibility and name recognition (what worked and
what didn't)?
Chris Currie: I found
that attending all candidate forums is a good idea to heighten your
profile (even ones for other offices, when you're just mingling with
prospective voters). I also took every opportunity to get media
coverage of my candidacy in the city, county and metropolitan
newspapers. Having bold or distinctive views on hot-button issues
can also attract attention to a campaign -- although you have to be
careful that your positions are likely to be well-received by voters.
Scott Grayson: I was
endorsed by the local newspaper after having an interview with their
editors. I was endorsed by the Minnesota state social workers association.
Many residents wrote letters to the editor endorsing my candidacy.
11. Any tips on working with
the media?
Chris Currie: To
conduct effective media relations in a local campaign, do the following:
- Be accessible. Make sure all reporters covering the local beat
have your name, all contact information, and your photo early on.
Sometimes a reporter will be working on a candidate-profile story on a
deadline of a few hours, and if he/she can't find you right away, you
won't be in it.
- Be proactive. Seek out
reporters at campaign events and strike up a conversation. Give them
a call to get acquainted. Call them again whenever there's a news
story developing that you might be able to comment on as a
candidate. And make sure they have a copy of your campaign
literature so they'll have a number of potential interview angles when
they call you.
- Prepare what you say. The media trades in
"newsbites," so it pays to have short, pithy quotations on your
key messages ready when you talk with a reporter. That not only can
get you into a story, but it can keep you from saying something
ill-considered that you'll regret later.
Scott Grayson:
Provide the media with enough information to make their jobs easy. There
isn't usually a lot of space for municipal elections until two weeks
before the election. So don't expect media to give you much coverage or
space. But if you can provide them with your background, bio, and platform
they will probably use it sooner or later.
12. How did you use technology
(the Internet, etc.) in your campaign and was it effective?
Chris Currie: I used
technology through email communications and my Web site. I made sure
to post my views whenever appropriate on the civic discussion lists that I
knew about, as well as an announcement directing people to my campaign
site. The Web site itself contained not just personal information, photos
and my platform, but also a continuously tabulated issues survey that
proved popular, and a simple Web database that people could register for
to receive campaign and elections information (less successful). I
think the Web site was successful less for educating voters than for
giving my candidacy a certain novelty and a professional, cutting-edge
feel.
Scott Grayson: I had
an excellent website designed and updated by a volunteer. The people who
won in my election year (mayor, one other council member and me) all had
websites. Those that did not have a website did not win. I can't draw a
definitive conclusion but...
13. What resources did you find
useful (e.g., books, websites, individuals, etc.) for advice on
running your campaign?
Chris Currie: The senior
Council member representing my Ward served as my mentor through the whole
experience. His assistance was invaluable, because he knew local
politics, the other candidates, and most of the voters themselves. I
had one particularly strong opponent who was backed by much of the City's
other political leadership, including the retiring Council member whose
seat I was trying to fill, and I remember becoming stressed and panicky at
a number of points during the campaign in response to the initiatives of
her and her supporters. It was this mentor who was able to put all
of the events and dynamics in perspective and suggest effective tactics
and countermeasures at these anxious moments. I was helped equally
by his wisdom and his serenity as I navigated through those uncharted
waters.
Scott Grayson: My
wife. Although she does not work in the political arena she gave me the
best common sense advice and provided me with the push that I needed when
I was feeling discouraged or tired. Next would be friends to bounce
ideas off of.
14. What was the "low
point" of your campaign experience?
Chris Currie: I think
the City-wide candidates forum early in the campaign was the worst
moment. I was one of 13 Council candidates answering questions
submitted by members of the audience, very many of whom were members of a
civic organization with particular views on certain issues. There
was a question asked at one point that was designed to highlight
candidates' views on a hot-button issue that was not much relevant to
local politics but was dear to the heart of many members of this interest
group. I had the "wrong" position on this issue, as I
imagined some other candidates had, as well. But, being the last one in
the rotation to answer, I was chagrined to see every candidate either
ducking the issue or giving the "politically correct"
response. When it came to my turn, I was left all alone among the
candidates when I presented my honest position on the issue. After
the forum, I was surrounded by angry activists and hectored endlessly as I
tried to explain my position. At that point, I thought my candidacy
was doomed. What I realized later, though, is that many people in the
audience, while disagreeing with my position, realized that it wasn't
relevant to Council business and were impressed that I answered the
question honestly. And some others, who quietly agreed with me at
the forum, spread my views among like-minded voters in my ward. The
moral of the story is, always stand up honestly for your principles, even
if you think it will hurt you politically.
Scott Grayson: The
other candidates became fairly nasty and started spreading rumors
about me.
15. What was the "high
point" of your campaign experience?
Chris Currie:
Certainly, the peak moment was election night. I remember sitting
there with my opponents fidgeting nervously while the poll volunteers
tried to figure out how to download the totals from the machine. It
had been a long day at the polls, and although I was encouraged to see
many of my supporters showing up to vote, I still had no confidence that I
was victorious. When they finally figured out how to read the
results, I was elated to find I had won by a two-to-one margin. It's
a great feeling to know that your neighbors have the kind of confidence in
you that they would elect you to represent them on the City
government. It was a little bittersweet, though, because I had a
great deal of respect and affection for the second-place candidate and she
had run a strong and honorable race.
Scott Grayson: Seeing how
many people in the community I managed to get to volunteer. The reason I
ran was to build community and I felt like I did that around my campaign.
16. How do you think your age
affected the election outcome (if at all)?
Chris Currie: Our
city has a high proportion of both seniors and young families. I
think my relative youth (I'm the youngest member of the Council) probably
didn't hurt me, because I had demonstrated strong qualifications for the
office. It might even have helped me with both over-represented groups in
the electorate; the younger voters for affinity reasons and the older
voters because I might have represented hope for the future of the
community they had lived in for so many years.
Scott Grayson: I am
the youngest council member to hold office in Golden Valley. I was
concerned that that would hurt me with the senior residents. It actually
had the opposite impact. As I knocked on doors, most of the seniors in
Golden Valley said it was time for a change, they wanted new blood!
17. Having run a campaign once,
what would you do differently next time.
Chris Currie: The one
thing I would do differently is to reach out earlier to the City's
political influentials to secure either endorsements or neutrality.
Because I was a fairly new resident in the City, I didn't personally know
all of the elected officials and civic activists. I also wanted to
stay neutral myself in the Mayoral election and other Council races.
So I didn't reach out to the community's power brokers, and partly as a
result many of them supported and worked on behalf of my opponent, who
did. Not only did this hamper my election effort, but it caused some
post-election awkwardness for me, as the candidate spurned, and for them,
who now had to work with me. It meant I couldn't hit the ground
running with my agenda when the new Council session started.
Ironically, as it turned out, the officials who most strongly backed my
opponent are now my closest allies on the Council, and some of the folks
most disgusted with me after the candidates forum are now some of my
biggest supporters. Politics often makes strange bedfellows, indeed!
Scott Grayson: Try
to get even more volunteers to reduce the amount of work that any one
volunteer has.
18. Now that you're a
councilman, how will the job affect your other personal and professional
responsibilities (family, friends, work, etc.)
Chris Currie: After
one year in office, I can say with reasonable certitude that your duties
will take more of you than you bargained for. Between official
Council business, ancillary committee meetings, civic functions, training
and conferences, constituent service, and so on, your responsibilities can
eat up every minute of the week that you're not at your day job.
There's no question that I work much less overtime than before and have
less family time. I cope with the squeeze by trying to combine my
Council work with other activities (e.g., spending time with family and
friends while attending civic functions), learning to distinguish between
essential and nonessential Council work, and even by setting some absolute
limits on time spent on city business (e.g., my wife has kept me to a
strict limit of number of evening meetings per week).
Scott Grayson: I
think I have learned many new skills and the job has challenged me beyond
my wildest dreams. It has helped me grow as a person. When you have 20,281
residents who can potentially attack you on any one issue anywhere and at
anytime, it teaches you to thicken your skin.
19. What's next? (Where
do you see your future in politics?)
Chris Currie: A
politician will only answer this question one way -- we'll never confess
to our next ambition! Seriously, though, I'm a "citizen
politician" who is interested only in improving my community.
I'm hoping that I'll accomplish my major goals in my first four-year term
and then retire to enjoy the fruits of my efforts. But, never say
never.
Scott Grayson: I have
three more years left in my term. I will work on figuring that out soon.
20. Do you have any parting
words of wisdom for other individuals (especially engineers) who might be
interested in seeking public office?
Chris Currie: Think
carefully about whether you have the time, talents and temperament to make
a positive contribution to your community's governance. If the
answer to all three is "yes," then go for it. You'll have
a unique, new experience that you'll never forget and that will enrich you
in ways you probably haven't imagined. At the same time you'll be
helping your neighbors and strengthening the foundations of our American
system, representative democracy, which depends on the willingness of its
citizens of good faith to assume the mantle of political leadership.
Good luck!
Scott Grayson: If you
have the energy, are a good time manager, don't get overwhelmed easily,
have patience and a fairly thick skin, then take the plunge. It is a great
learning and growth experience.
Conclusion
It is hoped this essay will
eliminate some misapprehensions about running for local office and
encourage you to consider these types of opportunities to serve your
community. If you have additional questions for Councilmen Currie
and Grayson, or if you are an IEEE member who is also a local official and
would like to add your responses to the 20 questions, drop a note to Chris
Brantley at IEEE-USA.
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Last Updated: April 7, 2003
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2003, The
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.
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