Ideal Candidate Timeline
After the 1996 elections, Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania activist Tony Shepps posted the party's analysis of campaign strategies to the LPUS mailing list.
The state party's post-mortem analysis led to the development of a timeline for organization and funding of state and U.S. house candidates. They targeted the timeline for a candidate who can spend around $3,000.
Candidate's Ideal Timeline: State House, State Senate, US House
Preceding year
Fundraising: save own money
- Get acceptance of campaign from family, employer
- If taking yearly vacation, plan it for June or early July
- List possible campaign donors
- List possible campaign workers
- Read newspapers
- Choose race (if necessary)
- Study communications techniques
- Get wardrobe/appearance in shape if necessary
- Subscribe to Campaigns and Elections magazine
- Continuing research: what local organizations need speakers?
- Write letters to the editor: for visibility and practice
January
(County election of new officers; county fundraising begins)
- Research for office begins:
- Constitution (state or federal)
- Basic Issues
- Possible opposition voting history
- Legality of yard signs in all municipalities
- Opposition FEC reports or other financing reports
- Recruit campaign manager
- Recruit campaign committee
- Get/establish media contacts list
- Write position papers
- If federal candidate, file FEC report to begin fundraising cycle (FEC: 800-424-9530)
February
(County fundraising continues)
Fundraising: family, friends, associates
- Decide on campaign themes/communication/slogan/"Big Offer"
- Design graphics for campaign - all art work - professional, matching message
- Design preliminary print ad
- Write/design pamphlet/handout
- Get map of district and learn it thoroughly
- Get past election results for analysis/strategy
- Set up two phone lines: fax machine, campaign-only phone with answering machine; recommend call-waiting & three-way calling
- Set up PO Box/mail forwarding if desired
- Hold first campaign meeting
- Begin black book of contacts - people interested in helping the campaign
| Expenses February | |
|---|---|
| Fax machine, answering machine, phone, phone line installation | $300 |
| Design | $200 |
| Running total | $500 |
March
- Follow primaries
- Subscribe to newspapers
- Write letter to the editor: issues/ideas
- Design skeleton press release
- Watch for public events to schedule in Spring/Summer
- Recruit primary-day petitioners
- Write libertarian-friendly stump speech
- Initial expenses - purchase:
- letterhead
- bumper stickers
- pamphlet / handouts
- PRESS KIT
- Good photo; enough 5x7s to give 3 to every press outlet
- Candidate's badge
- Business cards
| Expenses March | |
|---|---|
| Phone lines | $20 |
| Letterhead | $100 |
| Bumperstickers | $100 |
| Pamphlet/Handout | $300 |
| Press kits | $50 |
| Photography/prints | $200 |
| Running total | $1,270 |
April
(Early: PA state convention. Second Wednesday: county convention)
Fundraising: letter to state/county Libertarians
- Official candidacy announcement - send press releases, press kit
- Start contacting relevant campaign-related people:
- League of Women Voters
- Possible issues-related endorsees
- Look into friendly groups for fundraising/direct mail
- Gun rights organizations
- Small business
- Other issues groups
- Primary day: PETITIONING
| Expenses April | |
|---|---|
| Phone lines | $20 |
| Postage - direct mail | $200 |
| Running total | $1,490 |
May
- Oppposition research continues
- Review this timeline for possible changes!
- Petitioning continues; set intermediate goals, review status often
- Direct mail petitions (coordinate with other local candidates)
- Write/send issues or ideas-related press releases - two per month through August
- Hold campaign picnic, party, or some other social event
- Watch media closely for large public events/petitioning opportunities
| Expenses May | |
|---|---|
| Phone lines | $20 |
| Postage | $70 |
| Running total | $1,580 |
June
- Take yearly vacation! Rest up!
- Petitioning continues
- Letter to the editor - issues/ideas
| Expenses June | |
|---|---|
| Phone lines | $20 |
| Running total | $1,600 |
July
- Petitioning continues - July 4th weekend, esp. parades
- Petitioning deadline - end of month. Goal: finish 2-3 weeks early
- Press release to close petitioning, announce successful signature-gathering and legal status as candidate
- First order of yard signs
- Write generic stump speech
| Expenses July | |
|---|---|
| Phone lines | $20 |
| Filing fee | $100 |
| Running total | $1,720 |
August
Fundraising: second letter to county/state
Fundraising: optional: fundraising phone calls
Fundraising: letter to related issues groups
- 2nd Wednesday: county candidate's night; stump speech
- Delivery of first yard signs to most active volunteers
- Volunteers meeting - get them foaming at the mouth!
- Letter to the editor: issues
- Plan Labor Day event/attendance; write labor day press release
- Attempt to meet with political reporters in-person at their offices
| Expenses August | |
|---|---|
| Phone lines | $20 |
| Yard signs | $600 |
| Direct mail | $400 |
| Running total | $2,740 |
September
- Labor Day - official start of campaign season for the press. Send labor day press release - two days ahead
- Schedule campaign meetings - one per week through election day
- Debate rehearsal: write answers to 30 issues questions, closing
- Debate rehearsal with others
- Debates begin: Have signs at debates 1 hour ahead of time; Get word out to supporters - be at debates!
- Design election-day handout
- Second order of yard signs - size of order based on fundraising
- Press Releases - switch from issues-related to event-related, two per month through election day
- Produce radio ad if funds permit
| Expenses September | |
|---|---|
| Phone lines | $20 |
| Running total | $2,760 |
October
(Voter registration deadline)
- Ignore this timeline -- schedule goes day-to-day
- Schedule radio ad as funds permit
- Schedule print ads as funds permit
- Direct mail to voters as funds permit
- Polling - if necessary and if funds, time permit
- Order polling place handouts
- Debates / appearances
- Early: second delivery of yard signs
- Yard signs flood: target uptime 2.5 - 3 weeks before election day
| Expenses October | |
|---|---|
| Phone lines | $20 |
| Direct mail, radio, print ads, yard signs | depend on fundraising |
| Running total | $2,780 |
November
- Schedule election night gathering
- Write election day press release - telling press where you can be reached election night
- Tell opponent(s) where you can be reached election night
- Election Day - poll workers, poll watchers
- Write/send post-election press release
- Write thank-you letters to volunteers, helpful organizations, etc.
- Hold or attend social event for volunteers
- Post-mortem: what went right, what went wrong, what can be learned
| Expenses November | |
|---|---|
| Phone lines | $20 |
| Election Day handotus | $200 |
| Running total | $3,000 |
Source: November 18, 1996, message from Tony Shepps to the LPUS mailing list.