Week 30: It Takes a Village to Run a Grassroots Campaign

Dear Colorado Voter,

On Friday – the deadline for certifying the ballot! – a judge allowed the Libertarians to replace their dropped-out candidate; we are back to 5 candidates running for SoS.

I called the new Libertarian nominee yesterday to remind him that yesterday was the deadline for filing a campaign finance report. I am behind the major-party candidates in fundraising, but I have been frugal and have about $25,000 on hand, compared to the Democrat with ~$84,000 and the Republican with negative funds on hand.

It takes a village to run a grassroots campaign. Conventional wisdom is that a statewide campaign won't succeed without professional help. I have paid for some professional services, such as setting up the website and printing campaign materials, but the ongoing work of updating the website, sending out these weekly newsletters, filing campaign finance reports, planning and hosting events, thanking people for donations, and driving me around the state is all done by a valued team of passionate volunteers.

My volunteers have personal lives which come with happy events (a trip to see an eclipse) and sad events (sudden deaths). I'm always pleased when my volunteer supporters have a good time on the campaign trail, whether it's walking with me in parades or driving me around Colorado.

Thanks also to supporters who put up yard or window signs, attach my postcards to their bikes, write letters to the editor, post about my candidacy on social media, and generally tell Colorado voters about me.

Running statewide under a minor party label and without much money, I'm dependent on "earned media" – interviews, candidate forums, comprehensive voter guides and news articles.

This is the busy period for filling in candidate questionnaires; I'm hoping that questionnaire responses increase my visibility and boost my campaign. I certainly pay attention to voter guides when I don't know much about the candidates, and the SoS contest is not very high profile this year.

So far, no questionnaires have asked about Colorado's unconstitutional vacancy "elections," but that doesn't stop me talking about them and pointing out that I'm the only candidate that Coloradans can trust to protect our right to vote.

Questionnaires are sometimes followed by endorsements, but if I'm not considered a serious candidate, then I won't get endorsements. It's another catch-22. I'm hoping that voters decide they don't have to vote a straight-party ticket and will vote for me, the most nonpartisan, competent SoS candidate.

With enthusiasm and purpose,

Celeste