The "Announcement Trap":
Why You Shouldn't Launch Yet

There is a specific moment every potential candidate experiences. It’s late at night. You’ve been thinking about the issues in our town. You’ve talked to your spouse. You’ve run the numbers in your head.

And finally, you feel that surge of adrenaline: “I’m going to do it. I’m running for office.”

The very next instinct is almost overwhelming. You want to grab your phone, open Facebook, and type: “I’m proud to announce my candidacy…”

You want to order the yard signs. You want to tell the world.

As a sitting mayor who has guided dozens of first-time candidates, I can tell you that “announcing” before you are ready is the single most common mistake rookies make. I call it The Announcement Trap.

Why It’s a Trap

When you announce your campaign publicly, you start a clock.

From that moment on, voters, opponents, and the media are watching. They are expecting a professional operation. If you announce on Monday, but you don’t have a donation link ready, a volunteer list organized, or a clear message on why you are running, you look unprepared.

You only get one launch. If your launch is just a Facebook post with 40 likes and no follow-up, you have wasted your biggest momentum builder.

The "Silent Phase"

Instead of announcing, I teach my clients to enter the "Silent Phase."

This is a 2-4 week period where you are running, but nobody knows it yet (except your inner circle). During this phase, you are:

• Building your "Kitchen Cabinet": The 3-5 people who will actually help you do the work.
• Securing your "Seed Money": Getting commitments for your first $1,000–$5,000 so your first financial report isn't $0.
• Refining your Message: Moving beyond "I want to fix things" to a specific, winning platform.

The Yard Sign Myth

Here is the hard truth: Yard signs do not vote.

I see so many candidates blow 50% of their budget on signs in week one. They feel good because they see their name in print, but signs are just name recognition—they are not persuasion.

Persuasion happens at the doors. It happens in your email list. It happens in your digital strategy. Signs are the last thing you need, not the first.

Ready to Launch the Right Way?

If you are sitting on that decision to run, congratulations. It is a noble calling. But don't let your enthusiasm sabotage your execution.

Before you post that announcement, make sure you aren't walking into the potholes that sink most local campaigns before they even start.

I’ve compiled a checklist of the 7 Rookie Mistakes That Quietly Sink Local Campaigns. It covers the "Announcement Trap" and six other critical errors I see every election cycle.