Want to run for elected office in Tennessee? Here’s what you need to know

Do you want to make a difference in your community and our state? One way you can is to run for elected office.

Here in Tennessee, we have elected positions from local seats on county commissions and school boards all the way up to representatives in the state legislature and U.S. Congress. But where do you start as a candidate, and what does it actually take to run a campaign?

Today, we’re breaking down what you need to know to run for office, including what trainings are available for first-time candidates.

Today’s episode was produced by Katherine Ceicys.

GUESTS

• Rachel Campbell,  Chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party
• Lonnie Spivak,  Former Chairman of GOP Nashville, Political Strategist
• Matthew Hurtt, Director of Professional Services at the Leadership Institute
• Freda Player, Executive Director of Emerge Tennessee, MNPS School Board Member 

FURTHER READING AND LISTENING

• Tennessee Democratic Party
• Tennessee Republican Party
• Tennessee Secretary of State Guides | Find out qualifications to run for office
• Leadership Institute
• Emerge Tennessee
• WPLN | ‘I have to be the change that I need to see’: Meet three first-time candidates running for the Tennessee House in 2024