Why are you running for office?

The first question we ask every candidate when we have an introductory meeting is, “why are you running for office?” When I ran for state rep, I got some excellent advice about how to answer this question. We’ll dive into that here, and don’t miss our podcast episode about it for a deeper dive.

There are two types of answers that candidates typically give: the “rambling personal growth” story, and the “why you need me” story. We’ve come up with a fun analogy to help you understand why one is better than the other, so we hope this helps you as you run for elected office!

Imagine you are dating. You show up at the coffee shop to meet someone for the first time. You liked their profile, you’ve exchanged a few emails already, so you know you have things in common. They’re cute, you’re wearing your lucky shirt, you both drink your coffee black, so the first minute of the date is going awesome! You sit down at a table, and your date asks you, “why are you on match dot com?”

Here is an example of “rambling personal growth”:

“Well, a few years ago I started dating someone named Pat. And things were pretty good, we moved in together, and while we got along pretty well, they told me about six months ago they wanted us to move to Georgia, and I didn’t really think that the relationship was worth moving to Georgia…I mean, Georgia, right? So we basically broke up when they moved two months ago and I couldn’t really afford to pay the full rent, and fortunately we were on a month to month lease. So I moved back in with my mom. My mom is really well meaning, but I just can’t spend all day at the house because it makes me feel like I’m going backwards in my life. Most days I just can’t wait to get out of the house. So I’ve been going to coffee shops, since I can work from anywhere, and that’s cool, but I was just thinking the other day that it would be nice to start dating again. I’m going to be 30 soon, and I’d like to have a family, so the timing is right in terms of my life goals. And since I’m really wanting to get out of the house in the evenings as well, dating could be a way to do that. I signed up on tinder, but I didn’t really like the basic interface where you swipe right and left based on what you see…so I tried Match and I like that you can email people a few times first. So that’s why I’m on match.”

Boo! You would never ramble on like that! At least I hope you wouldn’t. But it is very common for candidates to answer the “why are you running for office” question using this style. A rambling history of the last few years, concluding with why running for office or being an elected official happens to be convenient for their own personal growth.

Everyone is going to ask you “Why are you running for office?” You must have a good answer. If it helps, try re-phrasing it this way: “Why do I need you to run for office?” Here is a better way to answer: Why you need me.

“When I was ten my father died, and my mother went to work in a sweatshop. She had to work 10 hours a day and often on weekends as well. I had to take care of my younger siblings, and sometimes we had to ask our relatives to help us buy groceries. When I was fourteen, my mother’s workplace unionized, and when they won their contract our family life changed dramatically. She was home more, and we never again had to beg. We even got a puppy, which was my dream.

“The incumbent in this district has voted against workers’ rights every time in the last six years. They voted against wage theft laws, they voted against workers right to strike, and they voted against municipal workers getting paid a minimum wage. Our district is primarily working families, and we deserve better representation. I will fight to make sure that no one has to go through what I went through as a child.”

Your answer needs to make a strong case for why someone should vote for you, and it should include nothing that does not support that case. If you have a personal story that supports that case, great! Open with it, because personal stories are very powerful. But you should not include anything that doesn’t support your argument about why the person you are talking to needs you to be the representative in this district.

Isn’t there anyone you can tell the first style of story to? Sure — tell your non-political friends, tell your family, and tell your campaign manager. But there is no reason to answer this way to anyone else — especially not volunteers, voters, or endorsing organizations.

Ted Kennedy famously tanked his presidential run before it even began by answering that question with a rambling personal story. Don’t make the same mistake.

Did you like this post? You’ll LOVE our podcast. Watch us on Youtube or listen to us on any podcast player.

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