Former City Councilman Bob “Troll” Walsh knows what it’s like grinding out wins, be it primary or general election, for City Council seats. He’s been both on the inside and outside (mostly on the outside) of council Democratic Party battles. Representing the West Side, he served on the city’s legislative body from 1995 until choosing not to seek reelection a few years ago. He shares his thoughts on what it takes for a winning council race in this, an election year for the council. Check it out:
So you want to be a City Council Representative or, worse yet, a member of the Board of Education?
The first question you need to ask yourself is why?
And the second question needs to be how bad do you really want it?
If you think sounding smart and acting smart is all that it takes; if you think taking a pledge the average voter does not have the time to read will do the trick; if you think everybody knows you and they will mysteriously appear on election day and vote for you then my advise to you is to do what you normally do during the summer and leave the politics to the serious candidates because if you want to run and hope to win this is what you need to do:
1) Cancel any vacations you have planned. You should not have the time to go away. You will need to eat, breath and live this campaign for the next several months. You must spend several hours a day working on winning this election.
2) Find a running mate who wants to win as much as you do, especially if you are talking about a city council district where you will be running against two endorsed candidates. You do not have the time to drag a wannabe candidate around with you.
3) Come up with a plan and stick to it. Your goal should be to knock on every door in the district (especially prime voters), to call every voter, to get literature in the hands of every voter. You should try to make three personal contacts, a door knock, a phone conversation and a personal note. This will take a minimum of three hours a day and at least five on weekends. Rainy weather just changes what you do that day, it does not cancel campaigning.
4) Find ten other people who will work 5 – 10 hours a week doing the same. If you are running in a primary, your opponents will have the 10 members of the district town committee helping them out; making phone calls, collecting AB’s, working on mailings. If you cannot find 10 to take on this challenge then find 20 who will agree to do half.
5) Pore over the voting lists looking for everybody you know. Call them, talk to them, get them to commit to voting for you and then see if they will do the same. This is in-your-face retail politics.
6) For those days when it is 90 out and too hot to door knock, take your bottles of water and freeze them. Put them in the back seat of your car and you get to drink one after the first one melts.
I am serious. This is not a game. This is work; very hard work. So roll up your sleeves and pick up the phone. Start reaching out to find your campaign workers and volunteers. Every day you wait you fall farther behind.
And good luck. You will need some of that too. You can do it if you are willing to do the work.
Once again former City Councilman Bob Walsh is correct especially when he said, “If you think sounding smart and acting smart is all that it takes; if you think taking a pledge the average voter does not have the time to read will do the trick; if you think everybody knows you and they will mysteriously appear on election day and vote for you, then my advise to you is to do what you normally do during the summer and leave the politics to the serious candidates.”
It certainly sounds like a complete list. I am exhausted just reading it.
Steve, this is just scratching the surface. This is merely attempting to educate potential candidates as to the type and amount of work that needs to be done. I would be happy to provide a more complete list to any candidate who shares my political views and is committed to taking the steps outlined above.
This should narrow the list of wannabes somewhat.
I agree, flub. It almost sounds discouraging. Wait, it DOES sound discouraging.
The main reason why smart people don’t run is because, well, they are smart. We are hoping smart people who can actually DO the job will run, this cycle. Highlighting the quality of life deterioration and mud slinging does not do much to encourage good candidates.
So now that the reality check on the negative side has been put out there, how about a post from one of you wise ones that will balance the scales with advice and encouragement?
It’s 12:30 a.m. Do you know where your Trolls are?
Thank you, Troll. You have presented an “initial gut check” to candidates who wish to run against the incumbents. It is a necessary dose of realism at this moment. What you did not say is if you still are considering a run, the external conditions in the City may be leaning in your direction, especially if you use current Council activity as symbolic of City failures.
* Decrease in City fund balance and no attention of City Council to whether City budget month to month or year end is in balance or running deficits
* Tax increases for two years with City Council ignorant of millions of dollars of unchallenged “ghost positions”
* Driveway expenses that are not provided in brief and rushed City requests for authorization and execution so all CC members can say WE DID NOT KNOW … but under identical circumstances the CC votes routinely with very little City accounting provided ordinarily, almost no discussion in front of the public and no dialogue with the taxpayer, and all but one or two go along with this process and then the use of the Consent calendar to bury any sense they are independent of the administration.
* Overtime for public safety employees/pension decisions/Charter violations that are not challenged/etc., all are grist for candidate communications
* Money for education budget to fund the necessary reforms instituted? Parents will be asking …
Did I forget to say “snow shovel?” Sorry, the public will remember.
The record of most City Council members is vulnerable if enough registered voters are sought out and talked with as Troll recommends. Time will tell.
Bob, I initially viewed you as an obstructionist on the City council. Without your presence it almost does appear all sitting members are going through the process with one mind. Even when there is opposition on the council it is very low key so residents do not react. You have been an important presence and the voice of reason. I cannot believe there aren’t any mindful, educated aggressive candidates who want to make a name for themselves attempting to put the City on track. Finch could do better with fewer sycophants and more conscience-raising individuals. Collectively, can any member of the council hope to rise any higher based on performance? Do any members have recognition out of their own districts? But alas, the Mayor will continue to rise on the shoulders of obsequious followers.
Steven Auerbach, you said, “Bob, I initially viewed you as an obstructionist on the City council,” those are not unusual words, they have been spoken world wide when someone speaks out but the mass doesn’t listen at first. Lech Wałęsa, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were called obstructionists and were jailed for their viewpoints but they later became their country’s President. Martin Luther King Jr. was called an obstructionist for leading the fight for civil rights in America and he was jailed and now America has a national holiday for Dr. King. Bob Walsh, none of these men but Bob has had his voice out there fighting.
GEEZE Ron Mackey, I said he was the voice of reason. Comparing Mr. Walsh to Martin Luther King, Mandela and Ghandi would be a stretch. But I do understand your hyperbolic diatribe. I assume you are attempting a run??? I will say Caruso and Walsh have most times raised awareness.
Bob has it right. That is how you win campaigns, especially in Bridgeport. Old-fashioned shoe leather. Contact people in person and on the phone and get absentee ballot applications to your supporters who can’t make it to the polls on election day. And get them out on election day.
And someone should do something about the shenanigans that go on. They need an independent canvass of the voting list. Every year canvassers find numerous “voters” registered at vacant lots, boarded-up houses and non-existent addresses. And numerous people connected with the machine have been suspected of being registered at offices or houses where they don’t live. And many of us know who they are.
Thank you, Ron.
As I used to say, many of my fellow council members used to think once they were elected all of the hard work was done. Only a few of us realized it had just begun.
Steve,
I wrote this for several reasons.
1) To make sure everyone knows getting elected to the City Council is hard work especially if you are not an incumbent and do not have the party’s endorsement.
2) To get elected it truly helps to have a dedicated running mate to share the burden.
3) If you are lucky enough to win, you really need a core group of a minimum of four council members. One might be viewed as an obstructionist because there is not much more they can do than to speak out to the issues. Two will give you a team and more credibility. But four begins to get you the critical mass you need to make changes. Based on most attendance patterns, there is hardly ever 20 council members present and voting. 16 to 18 is more like it so if you have a core of four and can pick off four more on a given issue you could have the majority votes you need.
So with all of this blogging going on I wanted people to understand this will be very difficult to pull off and you really need to win two districts to begin to have the power to change.
You need to remember in spite of how close the Finch–Caruso race was, only one BOE candidate from Caruso’s slate won and only two city council members won. And in my most humble voice, the two who were successful were only so because I was one if them from the 132nd.
Not to be paraonoid, BUT candidates need to be wary of who they let into their camp. “The Machine” has been known to plant moles into opposition camps to report back and even sabotage their efforts. Remember George Bellinger’s campaign was disqualified due to “irregularities” in signature sheets acquired by a mole saboteur. George would have made a good mayor, in my opinion.
I agree!