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How to Run for Local Office: A Complete Guide for Winning a Local Election
This is the completely revised, second edition of How to Run for Local Office. This new edition includes everything that made the first edition so popular, selling over 18,000 worldwide and used by dozens of universities and colleges, including Harvard, Oklahoma State University, Ohio State Univerisity, Indiana State Univerisity, Keene State College, Pennsylvania Fels Center of Government and even West Pointe Military Academy. How to Run for Local Office will take you step-by-step through the election process when running for political office. This book covers everything you need to know whether you are running for Alderman in a small community or running for Mayor in a city of over 100,000 population. It covers every aspect of putting a campaign together including making your decision to run or not, what you will face if you do, putting your team together including your inner circle and much more. This book will explain how to put your literature together, how to use it, how to distribute it and do it cost effectively. It will explain how to use campaign signs, where to place them, where not to place them, which ones are the best for you to use and how to put together your campaign lawn sign crews. This book will tell you how to prepare for debates, how to determine what public events to attend and which ones to avoid. It will explain how to do your door to door knocking and how to use your volunteers to maximize your efforts. It will explain how to set up your fundraising and what to expect. It will explain how to determine whose doors to knock on and which ones to avoid. It will explain how to maximize your campaign funds and save you more money than you would believe. This book will explain the use of the internet for your campaign and how to use GOTV. The original first edition of this title was 128 pages. This new edition has 304 pages but it includes some additional, completely new chapters not found in the original. The new Chapters are, Using Computers and the Internet, Just for Council Members-Township Trustees-Alderman, Etc., Just for Judges, Just for Mayors, Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom. The book contains samples of letters to absentee voters, press releases, samples of postcard literature and sign up sheets that you can use for your campaign. Anyone who liked the first edition of this book, and over 18,000 people already did, will love this new edition.
- GenresPolitics
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 1999
15 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Robert J. Thomas
193 books61 followersLibrarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
In 1990 Robert J. Thomas was sworn in as the full time mayor for the city of Westland, Michigan. He served twelve years, making him the longest serving mayor in Westland's history.
While he was mayor he wrote his first book titled, How to Run for Local Office, which has now sold over 25,000 copies worldwide.
He has written and published on Kindle, the Jess Williams Westerns series. Retired, he now lives in Mississippi with his wfe Jill.
In 1990 Robert J. Thomas was sworn in as the full time mayor for the city of Westland, Michigan. He served twelve years, making him the longest serving mayor in Westland's history.
While he was mayor he wrote his first book titled, How to Run for Local Office, which has now sold over 25,000 copies worldwide.
He has written and published on Kindle, the Jess Williams Westerns series. Retired, he now lives in Mississippi with his wfe Jill.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 4, 2009
Useful guide for persons running for local office in mid-sized municipalities (e.g. boroughs, small cities, etc), including a handful of interesting and original strategy tips. Seems like good advice, though in places it may be a bit dated. What is particularly helpful, I think, is how he proceeds with a rational, focused strategy which will help people who run for local office from getting caught up in easy campaign pitfalls.
Quibbles:
The book almost assumes that you are going to run in a major party (e.g. Democrat or Republican). Some of the stategy will be a bit different for candidates who don't have a Primary election and can't count on significant party support after winning a Primary.
The author, Robert Thomas, won his first mayoral election in the mid-eighties and has been re-elected multiple times, so his strategy is proven, but contemporary computer technology can substantially improve on what he did, and make some portions of it almost obsolete. He hasn't adjusted his strategy to take advantage of those changes.
He wrote the book in part because there was a lack of how to run for office material when he ran for office, but there are at least a few other useful guides available today for those wishing to run for office.
Some of his strategy ideas are standard practices that people who are seriously considering running most likely already understand as desirable campaign practices.
Quibbles:
The book almost assumes that you are going to run in a major party (e.g. Democrat or Republican). Some of the stategy will be a bit different for candidates who don't have a Primary election and can't count on significant party support after winning a Primary.
The author, Robert Thomas, won his first mayoral election in the mid-eighties and has been re-elected multiple times, so his strategy is proven, but contemporary computer technology can substantially improve on what he did, and make some portions of it almost obsolete. He hasn't adjusted his strategy to take advantage of those changes.
He wrote the book in part because there was a lack of how to run for office material when he ran for office, but there are at least a few other useful guides available today for those wishing to run for office.
Some of his strategy ideas are standard practices that people who are seriously considering running most likely already understand as desirable campaign practices.
February 19, 2020
A Helpful Guide
For someone who had little experience with local politics this book was super helpful. The author really breaks down all the steps to a successful compaign. However, it's a lot outdated and the author seems to be a bit too boastful.
For someone who had little experience with local politics this book was super helpful. The author really breaks down all the steps to a successful compaign. However, it's a lot outdated and the author seems to be a bit too boastful.
August 7, 2017
Some useful information, but a bit outdated.
January 2, 2017
Good reference if you are considering running for local office.
August 4, 2016
The rating I gave this book is not wholly for the information that it provides. As other reviews have noted, the core of the book's advice is incredibly solid, but there are some strategies that Thomas outlines that are simply not useful in today's world due to the advances in technology. However, the bones of a great local campaign are beautifully outlined. Thomas's writing is excellent and easy to follow. I've read a few books on the topic, and this one, while perhaps not the best when it comes to finite advice, is very well written.
February 5, 2008
A good primer for the novice. Book repeats a bit. Book repeats a bit.
August 20, 2011
This thin book is written in a clear and easy style and contains lots of easily digestible information about running a local office campaign. Very helpful.
June 15, 2012
I don't know if I'll ever use the information provided in this book, however the book provided some very useful strategies and tactics in campaigning for political office.
July 25, 2017
I did pretty much everything this author suggested and it worked. Robert Thomas knows how to win a local election.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews