A senatorial campaign involves fundraising, research, and a primary election. Candidates face months of campaigning and publicity before culminating in a general election. Incumbents focus on fundraising and may consider early retirement. Small states have more direct contact between voters and candidates, while large states rely on mass media. The campaign culminates in a general election in November.
A typical senatorial campaign lasts nearly two years and involves the work of many trained agents and political specialists. The first stage of a campaign involves fundraising and exploratory research. Candidates in some states may face a primary election. A candidate who manages to become his party’s nominee faces months of constant campaigning and publicity. The process culminates in an election, usually in November.
Members of the US Senate are very powerful and only run for office every six years. These two factors combine to ensure that the relatively small number of contested seats in any given year are the subject of significant political wrangling. Senatorial seats in states that heavily favor one party or the other may see less competition during general elections, but often feature hotly contested primaries.
Usually, a senatorial campaign begins with a period of exploration and fundraising. Politics is very expensive, and a candidate must be able to raise money to fund a Senate run. Initial polling and field research are often used to determine whether a particular candidate would have a good chance of winning a primary or general election. Incumbents typically focus more on fundraising, but may also engage in polls to determine whether or not to consider early retirement instead of facing a very tough election.
The next stage in a typical senatorial campaign is a primary election. Primaries are used by political parties to select candidates for general elections. Parties and states vary in their approaches to primaries, but primary elections are common, especially for seats leaning heavily in one party’s favor. Political leaders, donors, and insiders typically put their weight on which candidates whose positions they favor. A primary election is then held and determines which candidate will represent the party.
After the primary, the next phase of a typical senatorial campaign involves months of active campaigning before the general election. The specific tactics used in this campaign vary from state to state. Small states have more direct contact between voters and candidates, and large states see more reliance on mass media. Political posters, signs, buttons, flyers and the Internet are all used to disseminate information about one candidate and sometimes to launch attacks against the other candidate. In some cases, senatorial debates can pit candidates squarely against each other.
In most cases, a senatorial campaign will culminate in a general election, which takes place in early November. In cases where a Senate seat is unexpectedly vacated, a special election may be called and voting may take place at other times, or a governor may appoint a senator, depending on the laws of a particular state. All voters in a given state can vote to elect each of a state’s two senators.
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