I Ran For Office... Should You?

The people who craft our laws are some of the most important people in government. 

My name is Marni Halasa, and I ran for City Council, District 3, last November as an independent against incumbent councilman Corey Johnson who is now Speaker for City Council. I am a lawyer, activist and professional figure skater.   

You can watch my interview on Race to Represent here:

The issue I championed was the hyper-gentrification going on in the city that displaces tenants and small businesses. Even though my campaign is over, I am still fighting for the passage of the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, legislation sitting in City Council that would give small business owners affordable leases and the right to renew those leases.

As I got more and more comfortable with being a 'candidate' it became clear why more and more people, especially women without 'political' experience, should run for office. Although I did not win the election the experience taught me a few things.  Here is my advice to ordinary citizens who want to make a difference in their community:

1. People deserve better. You believe people's lives need to change for the better and your energy, enthusiasm and commitment will shine through. And even if running is difficult and expensive, and will take over your life, your intention to set a new standard for leadership will be felt strongly in the community.    

2. Expose, expose, expose. You may not have name recognition, political experience or the support of ‘The Democratic Machine’, but that doesn’t mean you can’t intelligently critique your opponent’s record. Democracy demands such scrutiny!  

3. An instant media platform. You run to get the issues into the media, writing editorials and organizing rallies to push a cause you believe in. I did that with the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, legislation that City Council needs to pass that would save small businesses from extinction, giving owners powerful rights: a 10-year lease and the right to renew that lease. 

4. A call to action. You also run because no one is addressing the problems you see in your neighborhoods. Whether it is because you see too many mom and pop shops going out of business, tenants being displaced because of the over-gentrification or the lack of affordability of the city, you want to do something about it — and want to do something about it from the inside, where real power lies. 

5. The process behind closed doors. You run to learn about the local political process and how decisions are made. Often, councilmembers pass watered-down versions of bills in order to keep donors, special interests and the mainstream party narrative alive. Knowing how things work is the first step in change, and even if change seems virtually impossible, exposing it for what it is is at least a start.

6. Creating future projects that organize and improve your community. Because of your experience, you now understand where the void exists in the community, where you can make a difference so the system is responsive to the average person. 

7. Expanding your horizons. This is probably one of the most important benefits of running because it changes your perspective.  You are exposed to new people, different ideas, and new issues.    

Here is another great thing, even though my campaign is over, I am still fighting for the issues I championed like the passage of the Small Business Jobs Survival Act.

Remember, bottom line, candidates with no experience play an important role in political discourse because we are not enmeshed in the culture that corrupts incumbents. 

Want more information on candidate statements, debates, interviews, district profiles and more? Stay tuned to Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s Race To Represent, bringing you the latest on New York elections!