Political consultants have become one of the most coveted tools by candidates running in races such as state representative and state senator. Consultants have also become important factors in local races. However, many candidates are probably wondering what they should look for in a candidate. The Amarillo Pioneer sought out answers and talked to long-time consultant Aaron Ceder about what's important for an election season.
Ceder, a consultant and political staffer with 15 years of experience, is president and CEO of Ceder & Associates, LLC. Ceder has been a consultant and campaign manager for multiple campaigns including those in New York and Texas. Among the campaigns that Ceder has worked for include Michael Grimm's bids for congress in New York, Dan Morenoff's bid for the Texas House of Representatives and J.J. Koch's bid for Dallas County commissioner.
Ceder said that the most important thing that candidates should look for in a consultant is someone who will bring honesty to the campaign.
"Candidates should look for someone who is not going to be a 'yes' person," Ceder said. "A person should give you advice regardless of how you like it."
Beyond the honesty aspect, Ceder says experience matters the most. Candidates should seek consultants with experience on the field and experience door-to-door.
"You need someone who truly values the grassroots," Ceder said. "Someone who has spent time in the trenches and have gone door-to-door. It's also important to find out who they learned from."
On the typical campaign tools, Ceder says that one of the most important factors is whether a consultant knows what questions to ask on polls. Ceder said that for an example of the failure of consultants to do due diligence on polling, look toward the polls conducted in the 2016 presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
If you are a candidate looking for a consultant and you would like to work with Ceder & Associates on your run, Ceder says you can find out more about the group at cederandassociates.com. Candidates can also call Ceder directly at 347-628-0795.
