In a column published on New Jersey Globe, a person offers political advice to recent election winners and losers based on decades in the state legislature.
The essay addresses how candidates handle the immediate aftermath of a campaign, outlining both the responsibilities of victory and the resilience required after a defeat.
Winners must recognize the volunteers, staff, and donors who supported the campaign, according to the column. The author writes that no one wins entirely alone and urges victors to avoid acting as sore winners or settling old scores with opponents.
Elected officials need to maintain a written record of every public and private commitment made during the campaign. Voters remember unfulfilled pledges when politicians return to the ballot, the column notes.
The author argues that public service remains a privilege rather than a permanent entitlement.
Candidates who lose an election face personal and financial strain, but the author says defeat rarely ends a political career. The column advises against public finger-pointing and bitterness, noting that graciousness defines a candidate’s true character.
Historical examples from New Jersey politics demonstrate how perseverance yields future success. The author points to former U.S. Senate nominee Joe Kyrillos, who lost a 1992 congressional race to Frank Pallone before serving 25 years in the State Senate.
Former Governor Tom Kean lost a 1974 congressional primary and the 1977 gubernatorial primary before winning the governorship in 1981.
Union City Brian Stack lost his first race for a school board seat in 1987 at age 20 before building a prominent political organization. Similarly, the author experienced legislative redistricting in 2001 that forced a return to the Assembly before eventually reclaiming a Senate seat in 2007.