Wednesday night the Leadership Candidates spoke with the PCOs of the 30th and 33rd Districts. Things were changed up a little by having the Chairman candidates speak first. The room was full and questions were good.
The main theme of interest was candidate support. Choosing to run for office should be a process, not a snap decision. Successful candidates for office generally take a period of time to learn about their communities and form networks needed to support a run for office. In the Republican Party that also means getting to know the PCOs and understanding the political process in the district. That was certainly the case for some of our strongest candidates. Unfortunately, there were candidates who did not have a strong base of support or fundraising experience. They were disappointed in their vote totals and the challenges of fundraising to run a successful campaign. Their expectations did not match the realities of running for office.
We can do a better job by using the resources of the KCRCC to better prepare Republicans in King County to run for office. In my next term as Chairman, the KCRCC will provide training and tools to help candiates develop their campaign plan. The idea is to launch the pilot “Campaign in a Box” with local candidates, work out the kinks, and then full roll out for 2010 Legislative races. It is something that our party needs to do – something I am committed to in my next term.
