Mr. Smith Works at Home, then Goes to Washington: A North Carolina Case Study

For most candidates there seems to be a seminal moment when they said to themselves and to their families, “I cannot sit on the sidelines any longer; it’s time to run for office.”  As a political training institute that trains candidates to run for office, it brings us great joy almost daily when we encounter individuals who have that moment, or are on the precipice of it.

In the world of politics, generally, the higher the elected office, the more prestige and glamour goes with it.  Some individuals are naturally attracted to higher office, while others desire a closer proximity to the individuals they represent.  Regardless of an affinity towards a particular elected office, if an individual has any hopes of someday running for those higher offices, he or she must begin at the state and local level.

Every so often we encounter candidates who have had that seminal moment, but their vision is so focused on the higher offices that it is hard for them to imagine the process that most people have to go through to get there.  Particularly new candidates, who have never waged a political campaign before, visions of future great accomplishments get out of balance with the realities it takes to get there.

We encourage candidates to run for local and state offices, not just because we believe that’s where true national change begins, it’s also because the next generation of officials for higher office will come from individuals who have served their local communities and states.

North Carolina is a great case study for why individuals who are interested in higher office should start locally.  The state has two (2) U.S. Senators and thirteen (13) U.S. Representatives.  Of those fifteen (15) federal officials, eleven (11 – or 73 percent) served in state or local office prior to their elections to federal office.

North Carolina Federal Officials and Elected Offices Served Prior to Federal Election

North Carolina Elected Officials	State Senate	State House	County Commission	City Council	Mayor	Board of Education	Superior Court
Sen. Burr
Sen. Hagan	☑
Rep. Butterfield							☑
Rep. Etheridge		☑	☑
Rep. Jones		☑
Rep. Price						☑
Rep. Foxx	☑
Rep. Coble		☑
Rep. McIntyre
Rep. Kissell
Rep. Myrick				☑	☑
Rep. McHenry		☑
Rep. Shuler
Rep. Watt	☑
Rep. Miller	☑	☑

Among those who served in state and local office, five (5 – or 33 percent) served in the North Carolina State House, four (4 – or 26 percent) served in the State Senate.  Eight (8 or – 53 percent) served in one of the chambers of the General Assembly.  Five (5 – or 33 percent) served in local offices including County Commission, City Council, Major, Board of Education, and the Superior Court.  Three (3 or 20 percent) officials served in multiple state and local offices prior to becoming federal officials.

From this case study it is clear that while there are still some Mr. Smiths who go directly to Washington, the vast majority of Mr. Smiths out there who desire federal office need to work for their constituents in their state and local communities first.