A campaign surrogate acts on behalf of a political candidate, appearing at events and bolstering their image. Spouses are common surrogates, with name recognition to draw crowds. Other types include politicians, the President, and interest leaders, such as African-American or Hispanic community leaders.
A campaign surrogate is a term used to describe a person who acts on behalf of a candidate running for some sort of political office. The campaign surrogate often appears at public events that the candidate cannot attend, or may simply appear to bolster the candidate’s image in a certain demographic.
Some of the most consistent campaign surrogates you see are the spouses of political candidates. Spouses are able to speak quite authoritatively on their partners’ locations and have name recognition to draw large crowds. During political season, they are often sent to districts that may not be large enough to warrant a visit from the actual candidate, but are important nonetheless. They can also be used to cover important events if two are happening at the same time making it impossible for the candidate to attend both.
Perhaps the most visible campaign surrogate as of late has been a spouse. Former President Bill Clinton traveled extensively to campaign for his wife Hillary during the 2007-2008 Democratic primary season. In addition to having his name recognition, Bill Clinton is in a unique position for a surrogate marriage campaign, having actually served in the office his wife is running for. This allows him to refer to his own time in office, stating that he believes his wife would be the best person to fill that role, drawing on any positive feelings others may have had for him. At the same time, using such a politicized figure as a campaigning surrogate runs the risk of alienating those who have negative associations with him.
Another important type of campaign surrogate is a person who is still serving in political office. A candidate who is looking to win a contested battle may seek the endorsement of politicians who have favorable numbers among a target demographic, in order to profit from their positive profile. For example, in an intra-state Senate race, the Democratic governor may endorse the Democratic candidate for Senate. The governor can then appear at rallies, give speeches, and otherwise endorse the candidate. If the governor has yes votes in the state, this can help sway undecided voters. Governors are particularly effective campaign surrogates because they often appeal to a broad voter base, transcending party and having the support of independents and centrists.
The President of the United States can also serve as a campaign surrogate in elections that are particularly important to his party. Hard-to-win congressional districts often profit the most from the president’s intervention, particularly if the president has a high approval rating. This can be an incredible boon for the party, as under the right circumstances the president can influence a number of races in the House in any given election cycle.
Yet another type of campaign surrogate is the interest surrogate. These surrogates are often high-profile leaders of a minority or large electoral bloc. Candidates can use these campaign surrogates to allay the fears of voters that they might not be paying attention to that particular demographic. The most common type of campaign surrogate in this type is an African-American community leader. White candidates use these campaign surrogates to assure African-American voters that their interests will be looked after. Hispanic campaign surrogates have also become increasingly important in recent years.
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