How Down-Ballot Candidates Can Navigate the Presidential Circus

Raise your hand if you predicted that the presidential race would be this crazy this year. In an ever-shifting political landscape, it is critical that down-ballot conservatives understand the basics of what they need to do in order to win their elections. Undoubtedly, their races will be tied to the top of the ticket and some voters will show up to vote without knowing the names of the down-ballot candidates.

Prior to the Wisconsin primary, the Wall Street Journal asked for my thoughts on how Wisconsin state legislators were handling the performance one of the candidates. I told them, “[t]here’s a huge disconnect for a lot of elected [officials], where they have to come to terms with the fact that [one candidate] is winning my district, but I’m a core [conservative] and I stand for these core principles that he doesn’t represent.”

I want to go more in-depth on how conservative candidates can separate themselves from national candidates and focus on getting their own message out to the voters. Consider this a guide for down-ballot conservatives for navigating the 2016 circus.

1)    Understand what is motivating your voters

This presidential cycle is unique in many ways and the issues at the forefront are part of it. I recommend that all candidates (whether you have been in office for 40 years or are running for the first time) knock on as many doors as they can in their campaign. Make sure you ask the voters what issues they care about in this race, and here’s the key: listen to them! You need to understand what is motivating your voters to choose outsider candidates this year.

2)    Realize that all politics is local

The mistrust of Washington is largely responsible for fueling outsider candidates this year. A recent Wisconsin Poll found that only 9% of likely Wisconsin voters believe they could trust leaders in Washington D.C. to do what is “right” either all the time or most of the time. You can separate yourself from that distrust by talking about the local and state issues important to the voters.

3)    Create a winning message for YOUR campaign

If you are listening the voters and finding the issues your district cares about, you will be able to better develop a winning message that highlights your background and how you are best positioned to represent the voters in your district. I expect this will be a campaign cycle with more negative ads than normal, so prepare for the worst that the opposition can throw at you and be prepared to refute attacks and still get your message out.

4)    Define yourself and your opponent

Definition is politics 101. Whoever can successfully define himself/herself and define his/her opponent will typically win the race. This is accentuated with the expected extra negativity in this year’s race. So you have to do it. Voters won’t believe the smear ads that knock you, if you have knocked on their door, had a good conversation with them, and defined who you are. You also want to be the first one to define your opposition.

5)    Control what you can control

Be your own person and be prepared to highlight where you differ from leaders in your own party. Your opposition will paint in broad strokes this year, so the better you are able to highlight your independent streak, the better off you will be. Don’t sweat about the presidential politics. Focus on what you can control. You can develop a winning campaign plan in this unique environment. Spend the time to work up a plan that understands this landscape. Then execute to a T and don’t let the opposition throw you off message and away from your plan.

6)    Know that your comments will be scrutinized

In every cycle, the media and your opposition will obsess about what you publicly (and sometimes privately) say. We are seeing an increased scrutiny, especially in relation to what you say about the top of the ticket. So think before you speak and determine what you should say before you do an interviews or attend an event. At American Majority, we regularly train future candidates to prepare for each interview and debate in such a way so they are ready for the tough questions. Don’t make it up on the fly.

7)    Own your race

You will not be able to change what the presidential candidates focus on. You can control what you chose to comment on. If you have done your homework, you will know how to pivot away from tough questions regarding other races. Have a laser-like focus on the issues important to the voters in your community for the level office for which you are running. Be prepared to say, “Look I know voters don’t trust Washington, but the reason you can trust me in Madison (or whatever state capitol) is that I stand up for the values of the people of this community…”

8)    Don’t alienate your base

I get it. You may be very upset about who your party’s presumptive nominee is. You might even have tweeted out a #NeverXcandidate hashtag several times. But look at the numbers in your district of how many people voted in the primary for that candidate. You need those voters to vote for you in November. If you are listening and have created a winning message, you need to go to those voters and ask for their votes. You will need to tell them why you are the best candidate in this cycle.

9)    Find the voters you can turn out

Use American Majority’s Vote Goal Worksheet to determine how many votes you actually need to win your race. You must do this and even consider a few alternatives if turnout is higher or lower than you expect. Campaigns are about identifying voters who will support you as well as those you can persuade, and then turning them out to vote. The importance of doing this work cannot be understated. You must know your electorate like never before and turn out your people to the polls.

Cheer up, conservatives. You are on the front lines in the battle of ideas. You can win your races if you put in the work and execute your campaign plan. Don’t take anything for granted this year.