From Candidates

Drew MacEwen, current Republican candidate for Congress (R) WA -06 (www.votedrewmac.com) sent us the following list of 12 lessons he has learned over 6 election cycles. These lessons are directed to every Republican candidate now running for a seat in the State of Washington.

Drew’s credentials:

· Drew won his State House seat in 2012. This seat had NOT been held by a Republican since 1932

· Drew won his Senate seat in 2022. This seat had NOT been held by a Republican since the 1950s

· Drew is now embarking on flipping the 6th Congressional District seat from blue to red. This seat has NOT been held by a Republican since 1964

1. Campaign on issues that people already agree with you

2. One cannot just go to Republican events ... you have to get out in the community and be known. There are not enough Republicans to carry one to victory!

3. Candidates MUST engage. They must talk to the press, and other organizations that may not always be friendly - you might not get someone to vote for you, but you may persuade them enough to not work against you

4. Data is a must. You have to target persuadable voters. Know who the voters are. Aimlessly dropping literature at every door is a waste. Have a plan to reach voters multiple times in multiple ways

5. Signs are not everything ... yes you need some, but more signs all over the public ROW does not do much

6. Money. You have to raise it. Look at it as a business - how would you reach potential customers without having resources to get to them? You cannot knock on every door and call every voter ... a state legislative district has 150k people ... a congressional district has 800k people. Raising money early is key. It shows support, and you need it early in order to secure media buys going into an election

7. Be positive and excited ... people are drawn to that

8. Be prepared to be surprised ... the people you think will be there for you are not, and ones you have never met will lay on the tracks for you. Embrace volunteers for what they do bring to the table and are comfortable doing

9. Be normal ... do not make everything about politics. If you are in Rotary, be a good Rotarian etc.

10. Remember - if a given activity is easy to do it is probably ineffective. The hard stuff is most effective.

11. Typically, avoid saying your opponent’s name - no need to give them more ID. Say it once in a given setting so people know, and then not again.

12. Absolutely provide your opponent's voting history/record. That’s how you distinguish yourself from them!!