Event Recap: Campaign Training
Rhody Civics Club recently partnered with the Rhode Island Working Families Party to host a training on all things campaigning, from declaring a candidacy, creating a door knocking strategy, and even setting up a bank account. Hopefully there are more trainings to come so you can attend and sponge up all the awesome information (wayyy to much to put in this post) but in case you missed it and can’t make another one, here’s a brief overview.
First, Rob Rock (Deputy Secretary of State but, more importantly, the interviewee on our inaugural RCC blog post) gave an amazing and detailed presentation CHOCK full of essential details about campaigning. You can check out his slides here. He covered topics including key dates, requirements, paperwork, some basic campaign finance things to keep in mind, and shared some “heartbreaking” pitfalls he has witnessed candidates face. “Running for office” seems straight-forward on it’s face right? Door knocking, website, media, declare candidacy, done. But the devil is in the details, and Rhode Island has a LOT of details. Like, did you know there is only a three day window to declare candidacy? Or that you have only 10 days after declaring candidacy to collect signatures to secure ballot access, and the number of signatures you need changes depending on the office you’re running for? Oh and sometimes you go to town hall and sometimes you go to the state house and it’s not always intuitive? Yeah. These are things you need to know! Check out his slides for all the details. And seriously, come to our next training. What someone else might consider dry-as-dust content, RR somehow turns into a riveting and engaging back and forth, well worth your time to attend live.
Next, Chelsea Fernando of the Rhode Island Working Families Party and Mike Beauregard of Affordable RI reviewed campaign basics you need to know to get started, like basics of campaign finance, when to fundraise and how much, how to identify and refine messaging, getting a door knocking strategy worked out, and figuring out how to staff your “kitchen cabinet.” Again, a recap blog post could never do them justice. But one thing I found most interesting was the idea of a “messaging box” to craft exactly how to sell yourself and your vision (and undercut your opponent, while being nice and honest of course!) I was also inspired by the depth of knowledge these veterans brought to the table. Both of them have run successful electoral campaigns in the past, and were available for questions and feedback the whole time. They are an invaluable resource, and a huge reason not to miss another training with us!
Speaking of that…RCC is in the process of identifying partner organizations around the state to partner with on more campaign trainings in the month of April. The deadline to declare candidacy in Rhode Island is in June, and so it’s imperative for campaigns get off the ground in spring—we’re losing runway people! Sign up for our mailing list to get event invites!
And, as always, reach out with any suggestions, questions, or feedback! Give us a shout at rhodycivicsclub@gmail.com
This election cycle is the perfect time to ride the pro-democracy wave right into office, where you can REALLY make a difference! RCC is all about getting involved as unelected citizens but, ironically, one of the best things you could do is get elected. We can learn all we want about every corner of our wonderful lil state, but the reality is if we don’t have effective elected officials then change is impossible. Whatever your vision, you can make it happen with enough dedication, a good support network, and the right tools. See you at the next training!