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Whether recovering or still in the game, political creatures love armchair quarterbacking other people’s campaigns, projecting our own experiences and wondering what might work better.
In that spirit, with the 2024 election barreling toward us, I wanted to offer some trends I’ve observed over the past two decades.
It’s really, really important whom you have on your team. If you’re running for Congress or a statewide office, the name of the game is to get on the radar of one of the national groups that have big bucks to spend. If you do, these groups all have binders full of resumes of political operatives eager to drop into your district and take over key elements of the campaign.
Sometimes, this works fine. Other times, you wind up with someone who puts “Indianans” in a press release and looks askance at a tenderloin sandwich. Just like in any organization, fit is as important, if not more so, than talent. Choose wisely.
People actually do care about your vision. I was at an event recently where someone pointed out that Donald Trump has been part of the past three presidential elections. Duh. We all know that. But think about the way his larger-than-life style has changed politics. Whether you love him or hate him, it’s all about him. Not the issues.
It would be easy but misguided for other candidates to think they can follow that path. In a Pew Research poll last month, 81% of registered voters said the economy will be very important to their vote in the 2024 presidential election. Closer to home, we’ve seen a flurry of policy proposals from the gubernatorial contenders. And candidates’ positions on localized issues—think water rights or street repairs—can factor into municipal and Statehouse races.
Shorter: Voters do care about issues, and they want to see their concerns reflected in meaningful ways in a candidate’s platform.
Don’t take anything for granted. Indiana had Democratic governors for more than a decade. Then Mitch Daniels came along, and Republicans have been in charge for 20 years. Indianapolis had Republican mayors until we didn’t. Trend lines are trend lines, but you can’t assume anything in politics. Even if you’re from the party that’s likely to win, you still need to run your campaign like you might not.
Understand your blind spots. If you’re a candidate or thinking about running for office, you’ve got to know thyself. What’s in your background that you think no one knows about? What might your opponent bring up that would send you into a rage spiral? There used to be unspoken rules about such things. Bringing kids and spouses into the debate was generally off-limits. No more. If you don’t know where those weaknesses are and take steps to mentally prepare for potential attacks, your buttons are likely to get pushed when you least expect it.
Elections are about connection. The most likable candidate in a campaign doesn’t always win. The person who connects best with voters typically does. Connection and likability aren’t the same. Voters have to feel like you’ve got their back, that they can trust you to do right by them. In a digital age where video clips rule the world, coming across as inauthentic or as an empty suit could be a losing recipe.
It’s too late for any of this advice this time around, but we all know the election cycle never stops. Here’s to 2026!•
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Chartier is a lifelong Indianapolis resident and owner of Mass Ave Public Relations. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.
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