Have you ever thought about running for office? Apparently, you're not alone. Donald Trump's disastrous tenure along with ripe opportunities for pickups in 2018 has progressive hopefuls beating down the doors of Democratic groups, writes Simone Pathé:
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already talked to 275 people in 68 districts wanting to run — 20 people in one Illinois district alone.
Groups interested in more than just congressional races have received even more knocks on the door. Since the election, more than 10,000 women have reached out to EMILY’s List about running for all levels of office. (By contrast, 1,000 women contacted the group during the two-year 2016 cycle.)
Of course, running for Congress and running for a state-level seat are totally different levels of commitment. At the congressional level, cash is king.
“No one is expected to be able to map out how they’re going to raise $1.5 million,” said Pennsylvania-based consultant J.J. Balaban. But if they can’t at least chart a rough course to six-figures, Congress might not be the right office for them.
That said, given the inspired level of Democratic engagement across the country, old campaign models might not exactly apply to the upcoming cycle.
In GA-06, for instance, Democrat Jon Ossoff's $8.3 million war chest isn't exactly a product of relentless candidate call times. Sure, Ossoff has put in a stellar effort. But his candidacy took flight in unimaginable ways both inside the district and among small-dollar donors. (Tune in on April 18!)
But it's not just Georgia. In Montana, Rob Quist has raised $1.3 million for his congressional bid without accepting any money from lobbyists for corporate PACs. Republicans are so unnerved by Democratic traction in deep red states that a GOP Super PAC was already taking aim at Quist last month in advance of the May 25 special election.
And did you catch that Kansas special election Tuesday where the Democratic candidate came out of nowhere to narrow the usual 30-plus point gap down to single digits?
So yeah, running for Congress isn't easy. But this upcoming cycle could be like no other for Democrats, for decades to come.
The good news is heightened interest will make it much harder for the Democratic consultant class to christen their preferred candidates to the exclusion of everyone else.
Bustos and her colleagues in the Illinois delegation gathered for dinner earlier this month to discuss how, with so many potential candidates, they’d land the best candidates in tough districts. They’ve decided to take a wait-and-see approach to watch who puts in the time and surrounds themselves with good teams.
“Clearing the field is going to be a more difficult endeavor,” said Balaban, the Pennsylvania consultant.
Finally, keep the option of running for state office in mind.
EMILY’s List knows that many of the 10,000 women who have approached them this winter won’t run for Congress — or even for any office this cycle. But the abortion rights group is excited about building a bench for the future.
And with redistricting at play soon, some liberals believe it’s even more important to channel Democratic enthusiasm toward the state level.