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Want to Run for Office? Here’s How to Craft the Ultimate ‘Elevator Speech’

Running Start is a nonpartisan organization empowering young women to get involved in politics and transform our world, one elected female leader at a time. Learn more at runningstart.org.​

Are you a college freshman with an interest in policy studies, hungry for an avenue to further explore your passions? Or maybe you’re an upperclassman, majoring in political science or international relations, with aspirations of running for office after graduation?

If you answered yes to either, let me introduce you to Running Start, a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps young women to run for office. If you are one of the students described above or even somewhere in-between, Running Start provides training programs encompassing leadership and campaign strategy that you need for success in student government or political office.

Below, we’re passing along some insider advice from Running Start about how to create a successful “elevator speech” that can assist you in winning the vote. An elevator speech is one of the most useful campaign message techniques to have in your toolbox. Your elevator speech should only be about 30 seconds long and include your full name, the position for which you are running, your issue, why it matters to you, why it should matter to your audience, and a request for votes.

Here’s what you need to know:

Preparing Your Elevator Speech, Step by Step

Choose the position you are running for.

This one seems like a given, but make sure to put some thought into this! Do not just apply for the “top” position or the one you think will sound the most impressive on your Linkedin profile, choose the one you think you’d enjoy most and have the right qualifications for.

Identify your issue, why you care, and why your audience should too.

Consider an issue that means most to you, that you’re eager to change IRL. This step, like the first, should not only be about selecting an issue that sounds the most “impressive,” but it should also be a matter that you’re passionate about solving. Your audience will also notice your enthusiasm about the problem, and this can help win them over!

Answer why you’re the person to solve the issue, and present your solutions.

Now, try to differentiate yourself from the other candidates. What makes you special? How can you solve these problems both differently and more effectively than your competition? Doing a good job of this can make or break a voter’s decision, so don’t skip over this step.

Elevator Speech Essentials

Use math, seriously. 

You read that right! Communicating with your potential voters is all about careful calculation and knowing how to structure your speech so that they can walk away feeling the most informed about your campaign. A general rule to follow is 3 x 3 = 1, meaning that if you bring up three points and repeat those same three points, your average voter will leave only remembering one of them. Therefore, it’s so important to keep repeating your plans for office, so that they are ingrained in your voter’s minds when they reach the ballot box.

Compose a 3-5 minute stump speech.

What is a stump speech, you ask? In a nutshell, your stump speech is your pitch to potential voters about your platform, the issues you stand for, and who you are as a person. This last component is extremely important, especially if you can make connections to the problems you are advocating for, showing your audience you actually care about these issues and aren’t just making empty promises.

Then write and perfect your elevator pitch.

Basically a super condensed version of your stump speech, your elevator pitch is only 30 seconds to a minute long, and should do a strong job of convincing your voter to choose you in the next election. 

Come up with a tagline or slogan for your campaign.

This part should be the most fun! Come up with a catchy tagline or slogan for potential voters to remember you by. Be sure to make it creative, but also simple and effective so that it’s also memorable.

And those are the basics of presenting yourself as a political candidate. Now, get out there, and go win that vote!

Taylor Huang

Syracuse '23

Hi, I'm Taylor and I'm a sophomore at Syracuse University studying Magazine Journalism and Information Management & Technology. I am passionate about food, health & wellness, travel, and college life and hope to share that through writing!
Gina was formerly the Beauty & Culture Editor at Her Campus, where she oversaw content and strategy for the site's key verticals. She was also the person behind @HerCampusBeauty, and all those other glowy selfies you faved. She got her start in digital media as a Campus Correspondent at HC Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she graduated in 2017 with degrees in English and Theater. Now, Gina is an LA-based writer and editor, and you can regularly find her wearing a face mask in bed and scrolling through TikTok.