ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with the types of people who run for office and why they do so. It explores the process of running for office, including "candidate emergence" and the hardships that candidates face on the campaign trail. The chapter looks at campaign organizations and the people who make up campaign staffs. Special attention will be paid to professional political consultants, who have become essential elements of any serious campaign for office. Many candidates who challenge incumbents, or who are competing in "open seat" races in which no incumbent is running, may have prior political experience, but some are political novices. The mood of the electorate and the economic and political conditions in the nation or in the relevant state or district are significant factors in determining when the time is right to make a bid for office.
