A political campaign is a coordinated effort to elect candidates to public office or pass ballot initiatives. Campaigns are fueled by volunteers and staffed with paid staffers who work to identify, persuade, organize, and mobilize support for a candidate or cause. They also oversee strategic decision-making and daily operations.
A campaign can last months or even two years. The length and scale of a campaign vary by the type of election and the office up for grabs. Every two years (a political cycle) thousands of campaigns take place nationwide, from local and state offices to presidential races and ballot initiatives.
Getting involved with a political campaign often begins with volunteering, but it is possible to be hired full-time as well. Whether this is a good idea depends on your personal fit, career goals, and other professional experience. A strong network can help with finding a job on a political campaign. Recruiters at colleges, law schools, and advocacy organizations with connections to partisan groups may be able to refer you to opportunities.
The most common positions on a political campaign include field workers, advance workers, and fundraising specialists. These roles tend to have the most demanding workloads and jack-of-all-trade requirements. Depending on your connections, it is also possible to begin in a different position in the campaign hierarchy.
Working on a political campaign can provide valuable insight into the mechanics of building and maintaining support for specific policy ideas and advancing them to government office. For this reason, it can be a great way to determine your fit for political work, and to prepare for a transition into politics-adjacent careers such as lobbying or consulting.