PAR Campaign School Prepares Attendees to Run Political Campaigns

By Kim Shindle
October 30, 2024
5 min.

The preparation and steps involved in a political campaign will be highlighted in the Pennsylvania Realtor® Campaign School beginning Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Anyone considering a run for a local elected office, working as a campaign team staff member and interested in the democratic election process should plan to attend the nine-session virtual campaign school. Members are able to attend any or all nine of the sessions based on their interest and availability. The 60-minute online sessions will be classroom-style to allow for open discussion.

“The Campaign School is designed to help people prepare for a successful run for office and helps them gain a competitive edge over their opponents,” said Chuck Liedike, PAR’s director of field operations and grassroots. “PAR has been offering the campaign school for several years now and there have been several previous attendees who have successfully been elected to an office.”

The first session on Nov. 13, “Should You Run for Local Office,” will dive into everything you need to know about candidacy requirements, campaign costs, election timelines and how local politics can shape your community.

New to the campaign school this year, there will be several sessions designed to prepare attendees for the ins and outs of ever-changing elections. These trainings will dive into issues impacting Realtors®, Realtor®-champions and their runs for local elected office.

Lebanon County Commissioner Mike Kuhn says PAR’s Campaign School is a valuable experience for any candidate.

“I’ve been actively involved with many political campaigns over the past 40 years. I served on a school board for 28 years, which required running for that office seven times. Most recently, I was elected to a four-year term as a county commissioner, so I’ve had my fair share of personal experience,” he says. “I think the PAR Campaign School provides invaluable information about election law and reporting requirements that are critically important for any candidate in any campaign. Pennsylvania’s election laws can be complex, and the campaign reporting requirements can be confusing. There are key filing deadlines, rules for advertising, fundraising and it is critically important to keep and file accurate records.”

“For those with little or no experience in campaigns, the campaign school does a great job in helping to prepare a candidate in what to expect. But even for someone with more experience, it’s a great opportunity to stay abreast of any new changes to campaign laws. The best outcome in any campaign is a result of being organized, prepared and knowledgeable,” he says.

“It’s an honor for me to be elected by my neighbors to do public service in my community. I was born in Lebanon County and have enjoyed all types of public service. And that’s what this job is, it’s about service to your community. It offers me a platform to help people if I can. We need good people who have the mindset of service to run at all levels of government – and that starts at the local level,” he adds.

Realtor® Terry Solomon-August, a member of the Luzerne County Association of Realtors®, attended the campaign school several years ago as she planned to chair a campaign for a friend running for city council.

“I didn’t know anything about running a campaign, and I wanted as much information as I could have to prepare,” she says. “The campaign school was very informative. If you’re thinking of running for office, these sessions help you consider whether now is the best time in your life to run for office.”

Solomon-August found the fundraising information particularly enlightening. “Understanding how to do fundraising, campaign contributions and the deadlines to file financial reports is extremely important so you and the candidate stay out of trouble.”

Beaver County Association of Realtors® member Julie Sebock says she considered running for a township supervisor position and attended the Campaign School.

“I thought it was very educational,” she says. “I was interested in running for an office, but I didn’t have a plan. The sessions outlined how to get started, what was required, getting signatures and the plan you need to get on the ballot. There’s a good bit of planning that needs to happen; it’s not just a matter of signing up.”

Sebock notes, “It helps you evaluate whether now is the best time for you to run and how campaigning will fit into all of your existing time commitments.”

All sessions begin at 10 a.m. and include: