By Mark A. Hutchison, Partner, Hutchison & Steffen
(formerly a State Senator and Nevada’s 34th Lieutenant Governor)
"One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."¹
More Business Leaders Should Run for Public Office. Many readers of Nevada Business Magazine are leaders by profession, personality and preference who should seriously consider running for elected office. Plato’s famous quote underscores why.
Nevada is a purple state where competitive elections turn on candidate quality and experience. The challenges facing state and local governments—good jobs, attainable housing, public safety, quality education, water management and affordable energy—demand leaders experienced in making tough decisions among competing interests. These challenges require leaders who understand that decisions have real-world consequences for employees, coworkers, customers, clients and families. To borrow from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, we need more business leaders to make politics their part-time profession.²
Any serious candidate faces two fundamental questions: what office to pursue and when? My answers are shaped by my experience on six election ballots while balancing professional, business, personal and family interests.
What Office Should You Seek? Run for a position where you can make a substantive contribution to the public good based on your relevant qualifications, experiences and talents. If successful, you must be competent and experienced enough to perform the required duties well. We have enough unqualified show horses in public office; we need competent workhorses. Run for an office to do something meaningful to improve the lives of your fellow Nevadans instead of trying to make a name for yourself.
When Should You Run? Run for office when three planets align in your life. Don’t run until they do.
First is the professional planet. Seek elected office when your career or business can sustain a campaign and potential years of service without destroying what you built and what your employees, customers and family rely on. When I ran for lieutenant governor, Hutchison & Steffen had been established for 20 years. Because of my remarkably skilled and sacrificing partners, the firm thrived even while I campaigned and served in office. Be honest about whether your career can sustain a serious run. Seeking elected office is not a sabbatical; it is a second full-time job, and winning expands the commitment.
Second is the personal planet. Campaigns consume evenings, weekends and vacations, exposing you and your family to public scrutiny and social media attacks. You must be physically and mentally healthy to take on the load, and your family needs to be on board. I would not have filed unless my family was all-in. Don’t run if a campaign will deteriorate relationships that are far more important than an election. However, family-supported campaigns can strengthen familial bonds. There is something uniquely unifying about a family rallying around a member seeking the worthy cause of public service.
Third is the political planet. Is the seat open or the incumbent vulnerable? Does voter registration favor your political affiliation? Is the broader political environment—national mood, turnout patterns and the top of the ticket—working for or against you? Advisers can predict outcomes with reasonable accuracy based on party affiliation, voter registration and national mood. Although a high-quality, well-funded candidate can overcome headwinds, run when these considerations offer the best chance to win. You cannot serve unless you win.
A brilliant candidate with a supportive family who runs in the wrong district at the wrong time will lose; a well-positioned candidate whose business or family cannot survive the campaign will regret filing. Alignment does happen, and public service is among the most rewarding experiences life offers. Serving as a state senator and lieutenant governor, seeking to improve my community and fighting for my fellow Nevadans have been among the great honors of my life.
Start watching the sky for the planets to align. Then run.
¹ Plato, The Republic.
² Dwight D. Eisenhower (“Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage.”)