Fantastic!  Our community, our civil society and our nation simply would not function without the dedication of public service-minded people like you who step up to serve and put their name on a ballot.

We’re glad you found us. The Coweta County Democratic Party has a strong commitment to fair elections and we work hard to support our local candidates and voters. We have a Candidates Team that is dedicated to working with those who decide to run, and at the end of this document, I’ll tell you a little more about us.

But right now, it’s about YOU. You begin your journey to election day by asking yourself a few questions:

 

1. Why are you thinking of running? Are you unhappy with the way local and/or state government is being run? Would you like to be a leader or a changemaker?  Does your family have a history of public service? Or perhaps you want to make this your career and a local office is the first step? You will be asked this question many times and you need to have an answer that resonates with voters.

2. Are you able to commit to the work of a solid campaign? We are here to help and can offer services but at the end of the day, it’s about YOU. You need to understand that a campaign requires time and effort.

3. Do you like people?  We hope so, because you will be in front of and speaking to many. If you are not comfortable speaking in public, you will need to learn to craft and deliver a message – your message – and deliver it in a compelling fashion.  

You probably have a few questions for us, such as:

 

1. How much time will I have to commit?  “As much as you can” is as good an answer as we can provide. Some candidates will take every opportunity to get in front of potential voters by going to community meetings and meeting with civic and business groups. Some of our candidates will canvass, going door to door. In the past, some of our candidates put up signs and did very little else. So the answer varies as to how much you need to commit.  All we can say is, yes, you’ll need to carve out some time, particularly in the final two months before the election.

2. How much money will I have to commit? Again, this varies. Some local candidates are supported by donors and do not need to commit any of their own funds. Some have chosen to invest heavily in their campaigns. All we can say is that yes, there are donors, we can help you connect to them and finances should not be the determining factor on your decision to run for office.

3. How do I get started? What is the process? The process starts here. If you decide, yes, I want to run as a Democrat for a local or state office, such as County Commissioner, City Councilperson or State Legislator, then these are the first steps:

 

• Do your research; determine if you are indeed eligible to run for the specific office you desire. For example, the Coweta County Commissioners are elected by district and you must reside in the  district you want to represent. Websites direct you or you can talk to us. We can help you find out.

• Once you’ve determined eligibility (ie citizenship, address, age, etc.), then you will declare your candidacy. You can talk to local media but we also advise that you declare at a General Meeting of the Coweta Democrats, held the first Saturday of each month.

• You will qualify for office: It starts to get a little tricky here. On even election years for regular elections – 2022, 2024, and 2026 – qualifying is usually the first week of March. This year,  the contested races are municipal: city council, mayors, Alderman in Newnan, Moreland, Sharpsburg, Senoia and Grantville. These races will qualify the week of August 18-22.  This step is critical. This is when you will file your official paperwork and pay a fee (which varies in this case). If you do not file your paperwork during this window at the official qualifying sites (City Halls) you will not be on the ballot.

• Determine Your “Number”.  Your Number is simply, the number of votes you need to win your race. The Number is determined by looking at your race, your district, its election history, and calculating just how many voters you must turn out to the ballot box to succeed in defeating your opponent.  We can help you do this.

 

As you can see, there is some time this year before qualifying, and you can and should use that time to plan your strategy. To reach your magic number you will need to craft a campaign that puts vital resources – which includes your time – most effectively to reach voters.  And yes, that’s where we can help.  Our Candidates Team is a group of people with solid skills in fundraising, public speaking, social media and marketing.  We have a photographer who takes fantastic headshots and a lawyer to help prevent any missteps. As a team, we research and craft in-depth papers on the issues important to your potential constituents. Because at the end of the day, we are here to stand ready to fully support you in your journey and “Turn Coweta Blue”.