# What can Democrats do to encourage non-career politicians to run for office?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-democrats-do-to-encourage-non-career-politicians-to-run-for-office/931531>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [January 26, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-democrats-do-to-encourage-non-career-politicians-to-run-for-office/931531 "2021-01-26T15:23:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-democrats-do-to-encourage-non-career-politicians-to-run-for-office/931531/21 "2021-01-28T18:32:13Z")

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> [@flurb](#):
>
> I agree that it’s not as clear cut as “career politicians” versus “non-political backgrounds.” The three “non-politicians” cited all have some background in or exposure to electoral politics. In addition to Warnock, Mark Kelly is famously married to former Representative Gabby Giffords. Jon Ossoff previously ran in the most expensive House race in U.S. history in 2017. These are not political neophytes.

> [@Alessan](#):
>
> Sure, she _[note: AOC]_ was a waitress… a waitress who had interned for Ted Kennedy in college, and who had worked on the Sanders campaign two years before. Her rise was definitely meteoric, but she wasn’t a complete political neophyte .

Right, you generally have to be involved to **some** degree in political matters even if only as a community or interest-group activist to make it to a viable candidacy. Kelly is not only married to Giffords but has been the other visible face of her gun-issues PAC.

> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> Local and state offices don’t usually pay all that well anyway, they are part time jobs, and you are generally going to need to keep your day job.
> 
> I’ve discussed running for a couple local offices in the past, but I _do_ own a business, and don’t have either money _or_ time for it.

This is a critical element of the lack of a down-ticket “bench” at the town/county/small state level. A majority of such elected positions are made by design to be so the office holder needs to “have a life” otherwise, but at the same time require attention “in your own time” when the council or committee or chamber are not in session. It’s not just _campaign_ financing that costs you.

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