Electing Brandon Dillon

Kristin

Experience Information

Employer: Friends of Brandon Dillon
Job Title: Communications coordinator
Major: International Relations
Received Credit?: Yes
Paid?: No

Description of the Organization

Friends of Brandon Dillon was the formal name for the campaign to elect Brandon Dillon to the office of State Representative in the 75th district.

Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed

I did a lot of phone banking and canvassing, which involved talking to potential voters one on one about Brandon Dillon and his priorities. Also, I wrote letters to the editor that were submitted to the Grand Rapids Press. The content of these letters varied, but they mostly dealt with why I thought Mr. Dillon would be a good state representative. Lastly, I helped out at campaign events.

Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience

I learned a lot about campaign strategies and how a campaign is run at the local level. Also, I learned a lot about the demographics of the district in which I worked. At the beginning of the campaign, I was allowed to see an overview of our strategy and what areas within the district we were targeting, as well as information regarding past elections and voting behavior.

Favorite Part of the Experience

My favorite part of this experience was learning about how campaigns work. Prior to this experience, I had very little knowledge about how campaigns were run, especially at the local level. I got to see how things were run and be a part of the process, which was quite rewarding.

How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals

Even though I found the experience to be valuable and interesting, I have come to realize that I do not want to go into politics. At times, it was frustrating, difficult, and draining and I cannot imagine having to deal with that each day.

All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of GVSU.