Finding Your 'Why' Before You Launch Your Campaign

Deciding to run for office feels both exciting and overwhelming, especially the first time. Having served two terms as a local elected official and spent over a decade helping candidates at every level win, I’ve found that one of the most important first steps is defining why you’re running.

A clear why guides your campaign and keeps you motivated when things get hard. Don’t worry if you’re not sure where to start.

Why this matters

Voters are drawn to candidates with a clear, authentic reason for running. Your why forms the foundation of your message and works its way into almost everything you do and say.

Candidates with a well-defined purpose resonate more with voters and hold their focus and passion longer. Think about it — which candidates are you drawn to? The ones who say “vote for me because I’m not as bad as the other person,” or the ones who tell you a personal story about what motivates them to change something?

I gravitate to the latter. The doom-and-gloom, fear-mongering candidates don’t do much for me, and I’d argue they don’t make very good elected officials either, because they don’t stand for anything. They were too lazy to work out a real reason for running. Or worse — they don’t have one.

To inspire voters and build a group of volunteers willing to work for you, this step can’t be skipped.

Reflect on your motivation

Think about how you got the idea to run. What put it in your mind? What was the motivation for change? Name it. Write it down. Put it on a whiteboard.

If you’re not sure, start here:

• What issues in my community am I passionate about?
• What personal experiences shaped my views on them?
• What change do I want to see, and why do I believe I’m the one to make it happen?

When I ran my first race for commissioner, the issue that mattered most to me was communication. I wanted to live somewhere the government communicates well with residents. Good communication informs people, but it also shows them you care what they have to say. That builds cooperation and makes residents feel their voice matters.

Most people never give their local government a second thought. The good ones are well run — and they’re well run because people care. Anyone who’s lived somewhere badly run, or resource-starved, knows the problems that make residents’ lives harder instead of easier.

Some of you live where there’s real mistrust of local officials. Think of Flint, Michigan, where elected officials made choices that endangered residents’ lives. An extreme example, but a real one. Government only works because people make it work, and the people we choose to run local government matter enormously to how the country functions.

Align it with your community’s needs

Your why has to resonate with the concerns of your constituents. Ask:

• Are the issues I care about also top concerns for voters?
• How do I position myself as someone who understands their needs and is ready to act?

I’ve worked with candidates who struggled to make their message land because they hadn’t taken the time to listen. Align your vision with what your community actually needs. Talk to people — informal conversations, surveys, community events — and get a real sense of what matters to them.

How your why fuels strategy

A well-defined why isn’t just messaging. It shapes your whole strategy, from fundraising to voter contact. When your motivation is clear, donors believe in the mission. It also shapes who you talk to, because it identifies the people who share your concerns.

A clear why is a compass. When things get tough, or a decision has to be made, you come back to it.

During my first campaign, abortion and immigration were hot topics nationally, and voters who watched national news wanted my position. Those were questions for presidential candidates — not things a local council member could vote to change.

Rather than get drawn into a heated partisan argument, I refocused on my why and told people why I was running and why it mattered to them. I’d say directly: if you believe those issues should be discussed at the local level, I’d recommend taking it up with your state legislators. I’m focused on local issues — communication, government accountability, public safety.

When I explained that, most people agreed the issues I raised were important. But before I left their doorstep, I’d connect them by email to their state or federal legislator so they could have that conversation with someone who could actually act on it.

That showed them that while it wasn’t my priority, I took it seriously enough to connect them to the right person. I never once answered a question about immigration or abortion, and I gained far more credibility than opponents who gave half-hearted answers they didn’t believe.

That strategy worked every time.

Start today

Defining your why is the foundation. It shapes your message, aligns you with your community, and serves as your guiding principle when decisions get hard.

Don’t wait. Once you’ve taken this step, the rest falls into place around a campaign that’s focused, driven, and ready to win.