* So let’s start with a reminder of my 7 Worst Habits of Highly Unelectable People…
- Picking the wrong race
- Picking the wrong district
- Picking the wrong issues
- Picking the wrong time
- Picking the wrong consultants
- Picking unnecessary fights with the media
- Picking door-knocking over fundraising
* While every legally eligible citizen has the right to run, that doesn’t mean they have a right to be taken seriously. Case in point…
* In 2022, Dave Flippo ran for the Nevada State Assembly, District 37, in Las Vegas. He raised less than $15,000 (not counting money he lent his campaign) and came in third in the GOP primary.
* But last week Mr. Flippo announced he was running for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District.
* Now, if he couldn’t win a comparatively small primary for a “swing” state assembly seat, why should we believe he can now win a much bigger, Democrat-majority congressional seat?
* I’m not saying he’s a bad guy, but come on. This appears to fall into the category of “failing upwards” – and a LOT of candidates seem to think this is the way to go.
* Actually, I suspect in many of these cases the real culprit is a greedy campaign consultant who whispers sweet nothing’s into the candidate’s ear hoping to get a payday from their campaign.
* Another example is Drew Johnson, who, according to word on the street, is planning to run for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District in ’24.
* Don’t get me wrong. We love Drew. A rock-solid conservative activist. Heck, we gave him our “Unsung Hero Award” just last month in recognition of his run for Clark County Commission last year.
* But the fact remains, he lost.
* So why are we to believe if you lost a local county commission race that you’d do any better running for Congress?
* Ditto Sharelle Mendenhall. As a first-time candidate, she decided to shoot straight for the top and ran last year for U.S. Senate. She reportedly raised less than $50,000 and came in third in the GOP primary with just 3% of the vote – barely beating out “None of the Above.”
* To put this in context, the runner-up in that race, Sam Brown, raised over $4.3 million.
* Now, I’m hearing, Sharelle is planning on running for Congress in ’24 rather than a seat she could actually win (and we desperately need) in the Nevada Legislature. Ugh.
* On the other hand, former State Assemblywoman and current Las Vegas City Councilwoman Victoria Seaman has announced she’s running for mayor. That makes a lot more sense and, in a crowded field, she’s certainly viable.
* More candidates need to follow Seaman’s example and set their sights a little lower to get into office the first time. THEN pay your dues, learn the ropes, do a good job, develop a fundraising base, and consider higher office.
* Of course you don’t have to. And yes, sometimes a first-time candidate wins a major seat their first time out. But those are exceptions to the rule, and you better have a very strong case to make on why you can win if you want the public to take your candidacy seriously.
* Seriously.
Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, publisher of Nevada News & Views and
blogs at MuthsTruths.com. His views are his own.