$1$

Part $4$

So what should you do if you'd like to run for office? One of the best ways to get started is to contact your local political party organization. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Greens, and other parties often have state or local offices that can help identify potential elections for your candidacy and guide you with the correct procedures and policies for filing for candidacy.

But once you've decided to run, how will you win?

Winning an election takes work! Here are a few strategies that political scientists think might be most successful:

Raise money! Political campaigns are expensive. Running a campaign for Senator can easily cost upward of $$1$ million. But, campaigns for local government offices will be much less expensive. Be sure to follow relevant campaign finance laws!

Have a message! Make sure your message is easy to understand and repeat. Think of slogans like "Make America Great Again" or "Change we can believe in$."$

Meet voters! Attend political $($and non$-$political$)$ events to get your message out. Go door to door and bring flyers, if you can.

Get some endorsements! Are there local political figures who will support your candidacy? Find someone to endorse your campaign.

Which is NOT a strategy for winning an election?