If you’re thinking about running for office, there’s one question you must ask yourself early and often:

Do I fit my district?

It’s not just a political strategy—it’s the foundation of winning a local election. As someone who served five and a half years as a DuPage County Commissioner and came within 1.5 points of becoming County Chairman, I can tell you firsthand: understanding your community and aligning with their values is crucial to both getting elected and governing effectively.

In this post, I’ll walk you through what “fitting your district” really means—and how it impacted my own campaigns and public service.

Why You Want to Run Matters

Before diving into campaign strategy or polling data, get crystal clear on your personal motivations. Why do you want to run for office?

For me, it came from frustration with inefficiency in local government. As a management consultant, I saw firsthand how redundant and outdated many units of government were—especially in Illinois. I believed I could use my professional background to make our systems work better for everyday people.

That belief became the core message of my campaign—and because it was authentic, it resonated with voters.

Pro tip: Voters can smell inauthenticity a mile away. Your “why” has to be real. Not only will it ground your campaign—it will help you stay true to yourself through the ups and downs.

Know Your District. Know the Data.

Here’s where the concept of fitting your district really kicks in.

When I ran for DuPage County Chairman in 2022, I knew I was stepping into a changing political landscape. DuPage, once a Republican stronghold, had become a politically moderate, even purple, county. Social issues—especially abortion—were dominating the national conversation, even though county-level officials have no formal jurisdiction over them.

Still, these issues mattered to voters. And if you want to win, you have to take them seriously.

I knew my district leaned pro-choice. I also knew that, as a pro-choice Republican, I was in a unique position to build a winning coalition. My data showed that only 9% of registered voters in DuPage were persuadable—and 90% of those voters were pro-choice. That insight shaped my entire messaging strategy.

In the end, I lost by just 1.5 points, but I outperformed every other Republican in Northern Illinois by 18 points. Why? Because I aligned with the district on an issue that mattered deeply to swing voters.

When Doing the Right Thing Isn’t Popular

Let me be clear: fitting your district doesn’t mean abandoning your values. But it does mean being aware of how your values are received—and how they might affect your ability to get things done.

Earlier in my career, I championed bringing a much-needed substance abuse treatment facility to DuPage County. Thousands of residents were being sent to Chicago each year for inpatient care because we lacked local options.

I partnered with a respected provider, Haymarket, to fill that gap. They acquired a site in Itasca and planned to convert it into a state-of-the-art treatment center. It was the right move for public health, and I stood behind it 100%.

But the local community pushed back hard. The Itasca Village Board ultimately rejected the proposal. And during my Chairman campaign, I lost Itasca by the exact same margin I won the primary—60/40.

It was a tough but important lesson: you can do the right thing and still face political consequences if your district isn’t on board.

How to Fit Your District (Without Losing Yourself)

Here’s the balance every successful candidate must strike:

• ✅ Stay authentic to your beliefs.
  
• ✅ Understand your district’s values.
  
• ✅ Find where those two align—and build your campaign there.
  

Fitting your district isn’t about flip-flopping or political pandering. It’s about effective leadership. You can’t make change if you don’t get elected—and you won’t get elected if you’re out of step with your community.

Before launching any campaign, ask yourself:

• What issues matter most to the people I want to represent?
  
• Where do my values and their values intersect?
  
• Can I build a coalition that supports me and reflects them?
  

Final Thoughts: Run to Serve, But Run to Win

Running for office is an act of courage. If you’re stepping into the political arena, I commend you. We need more people with conviction, purpose, and the willingness to lead.

But don’t go in blind.

Do your homework. Talk to voters. Study the data. And ask the hard questions about whether your values—and your vision—fit the moment your district is in.

Because in politics, alignment isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.

Keywords:

How to run for local office, Local election campaign strategy, Tips for political candidates, Fitting your district politics, DuPage County politics, Republican campaign strategy, Political authenticity, Substance abuse treatment policy, Pro-choice Republican