After my unsuccessful campaign for a seat in the Rensselaer County Legislature (upstate NY, east of Albany), I told friends and family I would never run for elected office again.
It was fun, it was exciting, but being a candidate was not for me. That was then, this is now.
It is hard work being a candidate. You have to raise thousands of dollars and put in a lot of time and energy to actually BE the candidate.
I'm surely not the only one here who has worked in the trenches for years as a volunteer for one campaign or another. But no matter how much time, energy and money you exspend as a volunteer, it isn't the same as being the candidate.
When you are the candidate, the buck stops right at your door. You have to put in twice as much time and energy as any of your volunteers or you are not doing your job. You have to make the phone calls for campaign contributions.
Should you make a gaffe, it is you and your reputation on the line. It is you who will be ripped apart by the opposition, you who are the one who is the loser on Election Day.
So why would anyone do that again?
For me, it is my deeply held belief in Howard Dean's 50-state strategy.
So when my town chairwoman asked me to run in a special election to fill an open seat on my local town board (Schodack) I listed the above reasons why I didn't want to do it and then remembered the Doctor's prescription that Democrats must be active and competitive, even in obviously Republican towns. counties, legislative districts, and states, and said yes.
We can't give up on any race, no matter how small. We always have to run a Democratic candidate. We always have to take them on at every level -- from the White House to Congressional districts to town boards.
Some of you in this community know me as a longtime commenter (UID 14,498) under a different user name. With the permission of the DKos administrators. I am using my real name for this campaign.
I am asking fellow Kossacks for support once again. Your financial support last year really helped, and will again this year.
I don't really need to raise a great deal of money, but every little bit helps buy another ad, do another mailing, provide more lit for volunteers, etc. The more the merrier, as with elections at every level.
I ran in a 2-1 Repiblican legislative district last year; I'm running in a 2-1 Republican town this year.
What most of you assume is a thoroughly blue state is quite Republican outside the cities. Not far-right tea-party Republican -- more establishment, moderate, genetic Republicans who vote that way because their parents did.
Schodack has elected precious few Democrats before, but it can elect another one this year, with your help.
I hope you'll support me in any way you can.
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