Running for State Office is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you have thought about running for State Office…do it! When I decided to run for State Office, I was nervous, scared, and full of questions. I knew it was something that I really wanted to do, but did not know where to start. I remember looking at the State Officer Candidate packet and thinking “Wait how many pages is this thing again?” It was overwhelming to say the least. Once I broke it down it wasn’t that scary, everything was do-able and other people had survived the process so I went for it. Having gone through the process, I can say it was an awesome experience, a very stressful but awesome experience.
When running for office, organization is key. I started planning my campaign shortly after District CDC ended. Getting your “team” together is also vital; as a candidate I spent very little time at my campaign booth so having dedicated group of members manning my booth helped tremendously. The time I was at my booth I tried to keep everything upbeat, talking to members as they walked by, handing out flyers and handing out prizes. I was out of my comfort zone, but very soon after becoming an officer, I learned that leaders must be willing to take risks and get out of their comfort zones. To some people running for office is not too difficult, to others is a huge leap, regardless I think anyone thinking about running for office should do it! What do you have to lose?