Illustration by Rich Hauck.
So, you say you want to run for Harrisburg City Council.
The long meetings, the low pay, the sniping, the late-night constituent phone calls—it’s all very glamorous.
Still, some people wish to serve, perhaps from a sense of civic duty or for their own egos or maybe the $20,000 a year really does mean something to them.
But first you need to get elected, which is the obstacle that stands between you and stardom on WHBG TV 20. How are you going to do that?
Here’s a little secret—it’s not terribly difficult.
Every two years, three or four seats come up for election to the seven-member body. Over the past few cycles, about a dozen candidates have thrown in for them. Those odds may seem long, but they’re not nearly as daunting as they appear.
Why? Because most local candidates are—how shall I put this?—terrible at politics, with no good plan of how to win. So, they put out some lawn signs, attend a few candidate forums, say a prayer and hope for the best. That’s a one-way ticket to spending Tuesday nights on your sofa, watching the proceedings on Comcast.
If you run a competent, well-organized campaign, you will greatly increase your odds of victory. This statement may seem obvious, but based upon the ill-planned, phoned-in campaigns over the past few election cycles, I believe it must be said. So, here are a few tips on how to go from council hopeful to council member.
1. Attend Council Meetings
Every two years, I bite my lip as 10 people who I’ve never seen before in council chambers boldly declare that they want to serve there. After they announce for a seat, they still don’t show up. It drives me mad. Start attending council meetings. You don’t need to speak, but go, take in the vibe, observe the goings-on and learn how things are done. In the end, you may decide you don’t want anything to do with this mess, which is a valuable thing to know before you make the effort. If you still decide to run, you’ll be ahead of the rest of the pack—knowledgeable and conversant on the issues, which will help immeasurably when you’re on the stump. You’ll also understand council procedures, the dynamics between council members and the role of the administration, among other vital things. And don’t just watch the meeting on cable or YouTube. You’ll miss half of what goes on, as much of the action takes place beyond the camera. Your time commitment: about four hours a month. If you can’t spare that, you shouldn’t run at all.
2. Fill Out Your Petitions Correctly
Each election cycle, some would-be candidate gets tripped up because he hasn’t filled out his nominating papers correctly. He’s then challenged and, inevitably, loses the challenge. This isn’t rocket science. Follow the instructions to the letter. And, for Pete’s sake, don’t notarize your own petitions.
3. Raise Some Money
You’re going to need a bunch of stuff—campaign signs, literature, postcards, postage, etc.—so you need money. It will take at least $5,000 to run a serious City Council campaign. Sometimes, a popular incumbent and/or someone with deep community support can get by with less (for instance, incumbent Jeff Baltimore spent less than $1,000 on his campaign this past primary). But, if you’re starting with limited name recognition, you’ll have to raise and spend money. If you can’t raise enough from family and friends and find going hat in hand to the usual PACs and powerbrokers distasteful, you can always self-finance (assuming you have access to funds). If you win, consider the first few months of your council salary to be your payback. If you’re an incumbent, you should set aside a small portion of your salary for a re-election fund. It will be money well invested.
4. Hit the Streets
I can’t stress enough the importance of identifying likely voters and knocking on their doors. In the window between the March start of the campaign and the May Democratic primary (where most council candidates win or lose), super-voters should be visited twice, those visits reinforced with direct mail. If you have more time, spend it in high-vote precincts or where lots of people gather (such as the Broad Street Market). Be bold, engage people, ask for their vote. Exude energy, optimism and concern. Don’t run a lazy campaign or rely too much on your social circle or on candidate nights or the Internet or powerbrokers. Also, don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked. Don’t obsess over your competition or your press coverage or whatever silly thing the county party is doing (do you know anyone who’s ever cast a vote based upon a county party endorsement?). Stay focused, use your time wisely and show voters you want it. Despite the march of technology, you still can’t beat old-fashioned, shake-the-hand, kiss-the-baby retail politics.
The next council primary election is a distant two years away. But, if you have a notion to run, get started now. Put out some feelers, attend council meetings, get to know the actors. By this time next year, you should be gearing up to raise money and mount a serious race.
In the interim, chat up recently nominated candidate Cornelius Johnson. A young man with little name recognition a few months ago, Johnson blasted out of the starting gate and lapped the field—even the incumbents—by running one of the best campaigns I’ve seen in Harrisburg. He’s now a shoo-in to win in the general election in November.
Sure, Johnson was endorsed by Mayor Eric Papenfuse, which helped his case with some voters. However, make no mistake—Johnson earned his council seat. That’s what preparation, a plan, some money and a lot of energy and hard work will do for you.
Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.
