How To Run For Local Office

If you’ve ever thought that you could do a better job than the elected officials currently in office, here’s how to launch a campaign—and win.

- Kaitlin Pitsker

When Kathy Tran decided to run for the Virginia state legislature two years ago, the only political experience she could cite was serving as president of the PTA at her children’s school. Tran says she didn’t have political ambitions—until after the 2016 election.

“The outcomes of the November 2016 election were incredibly concerning, and I couldn’t sit on the sidelines,” says Tran, who lives in West Springfield, Va., with her husband, Matt, and their four children . Tran’s parents had fled Vietnam when she was seven months old, and President Trump’s less-welcoming immigration policies worried her. “I needed to stand up for the values—hope, opportunity and freedom—that my parents risked their lives for,” she says.

In early 2017, with a one-month-old daughter at home, Tran decided to run for a seat in the House of Delegates. She had time to campaign because she was on maternity leave from her job at an immigration advocacy group. She won the seat in her district in the November 2017 election, and she was elected to a second term on November 5. Photos of Tran appeared in the Washington Post when she brought her baby daughter to the first day of the new legislative session (and discreetly breast-fed her). “Running and serving has been a wild ride unlike any other,” says Tran.

DECIDING TO RUN

Maybe you’ve worked on political campaigns, or volunteered for a community organization, or become an advocate for a local issue. Running for office can be an even more rewarding opportunity to spur change and serve your community. State and local offices—which are usually part-time, paid positions—can shape everything from health services and education to criminal justice.