Campaigning for conservatives for 40 years will teach you a lot. Dr. Mark Campbell has the knowledge and scars to prove it!

Today we’re talking to another Ted Cruz Presidential Campaign Alumni, Dr. Mark Campbell. Campaigning and political strategy are his world. 

Mark’s winning career spans more than four decades of campaigning and his client list includes Presidents, Presidential Candidates and hundreds of federal, state and local candidates across the country. He takes on tough races and has a strong record of success, even in democratic strongholds.

Mark’s resume is as extensive as it is varied. He’s done everything from managing campaigns, consulting on them, serving as National spokesman for the Republican Party and training conservative leaders both nationally and internationally

Most recently, Mark served as National Political Director for Ted Cruz for President and now he’s focused full time on running Intellz opposition research and strategy. You should recognize the name Intellz from our interviews earlier this year with John Lappe and Mick Paskiewicz.

While we talked a lot with them about the opposition research side of the Intellz operation, our conversation today is going to focus on strategy and preparing to pull the trigger on your campaign. We want to dive into the steps you should take before a campaign begins and common pitfalls that most campaigns face during their tenure.

Important Links from the Show

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn or at the Intellz website!

Show notes and Key Time Stamps

[00:00] Podcast Introduction

[01:50] How Dr. Mark Campbell got started in politics

[03:16] There is No Job Too Small

[10:00] The Interstate 80 Lesson – Very Important!!

[13:25] Winning Iowa by Targeting Voters, not Demographics

[17:08] How did you help train leaders in emerging democracies?

[20:06] What services do you provide campaigns through Intellz?

[22:00] The importance of a concise message

[23:20] How many votes and how many dollars do you need to win?

[24:28] Don’t take any vote for granted!

[26:38] How to Build your Ground Game

[30:22] How do you pick your clients?

[31:30] Advice for Young People wanting to get involved in politics

[35:27] Talking you OUT of running for Office

[39:28] What are some of the first things candidates need to do before launching their campaign?

[42:20] Explaining the issue matrix

[44:46] Starting the Cruz for President Campaign

[47:14] Learn the rules before the game starts!

[50:09] Talk us through some common mistakes that you’ve seen candidates make

[53:40] What do you look for when hiring campaign staff?

[56:22] Mark Campbell runs for School Board

[57:56] What kind of advice would you give your younger self?

[1:00:19] Where can people find Mark Campbell online?

[1:01:22] Mark’s parting words and outro