response- elected office
Read a selection of your classmates’ posts. Respond to at least two of your classmates on 2 different days by supporting or expanding on the ideas identified by your classmates or sharing additional perspectives on the issue described by your classmates.
Note: Your responses to colleagues should be substantial (250 words minimum), supported with scholarly evidence from your research and/or the Learning Resources, and properly cited using APA Style. Personal anecdotes are acceptable as part of a meaningful response, but cannot stand alone as a response. Your responses should enrich the initial post by supporting and/or offering a fresh viewpoint, and be constructive, thereby enhancing the learning experience for all students.
Reply from Michelle Willcutt
Initial Post
Run for Elected Office
The United States government is designed to provide structure and rules for cities, states, counties, and the nation. One of its roles is to develop, implement, and evaluate public policy. The United States Constitution allocates power among the federal government, state governments, and local governments (Porche, 2023). The legislative branch of the United States government is Congress. Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate (Porche, 2023). The individuals who serve in these roles are elected by the citizens they serve.
To get elected to office, it takes dedication, determination, resources, and financial backing from a political party. It also takes a passion for working for a larger cause and the greater good. Connecting with current elected officials or past elected officials is an excellent resource for guidance. Setting up a campaign requires guidance and expertise (Pitsker, 2019). There are boot camps and training sessions, many of which require a fee to help set up a campaign (Pitsker, 2019). There are some free online courses, such as Nation Builder (Pitsker, 2019). Campaign managers are experts in this area. There are also additional fees. Direct mailings can cost between $10,000 and $20,000 for an office that serves 100,000 people (Pitsker, 2019). Offices that serve a larger population will cost more. Door-to-door visits, which can spark conversation and debate, take preparation. It is important to have an elevator speech ready so you can share why you are running for office. This should include the issues you support and your stance on them. Connecting with constituents during your campaign is key to your success. Nurses are typically gifted at making human connections. Running for office takes resources.
A Nurse as an Elected Official
Jen Kiggans is a nurse serving in Congress in Virginia’s Second District (American Nurses Association, n.d.). She previously served in the United States Navy as a helicopter pilot (Jen Kiggans, 2026). She is a wife to a retired United States Navy pilot and mother of four children (Jen Kiggans, 2026). Her family is dedicated to a life of service. Jen used her GI Bill to become a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and served in long-term care settings (Jen Kiggans, 2026). After growing frustrated with politicians on the news promising things they did not deliver, Jen ran for office (Jen Kiggans, 2026). She served three sessions in the Virginia State Senate. Her focus was on legislation establishing a military spouse liaison and advocating for patients, families, and health care workers in long-term care facilities (Jen Kiggans, 2026). Her nursing background is an asset to her current role in the Virginia State Senate.
Why a Nurse is an Ideal Elected Official
Nurses make ideal elected officials. They are trained advocates for their patients. Nurses know what their patients need, making them the most appropriate advocates for their needs. When nurses serve in an elected office, they are advocates for their constituents—most nurses value human connection. A large part of campaigning is to connect with the general population they want to serve. When elected officials view their constituents as patients, they can advocate effectively for their needs. This philosophy makes a nurse an excellent candidate for an elected office.
References
American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Nurses serving in Congress. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/advocacy/federal/nurses-serving-in-congressLinks to an external site.
Jen Kiggans. (2026). https://kiggans.house.gov/Links to an external site.
Pitsker, K. (2019, November 26). How to run for local office. https://www.kiplinger.com/article/business/t043-c000-s002-how-to-run-for-local-office.htmlLinks to an external site.
Porche, D.J. (2023). Health Policy: Applications for Nurses and Other Healthcare Professionals. (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
· Expand discussion thread from Michelle Willcutt
1 Reply, 1 Unread
1 Reply, 1 Unread
· Reply to post from Michelle Willcutt Reply
· Mark as Unread Mark as Unread
VF
Jan 27 3:34pm| Last reply Jan 27 5:52pm
Reply from Victor N Fombo
Elected Office
What does it take to run for elected office? What are the resources you may need?
Before running for elected office, the first thing to consider is need. Except it is a completely new position or the one occupying the position is leaving, it is important to consider the need. If there is an incumbent, is the person occupying the position doing well, delivering for his or her people? Seriously consider what change you want to bring that the current representative is not bringing, before considering running. Before considering anything else, there must first be a need analysis for which to run. The other side to this is whether one can deliver or do better than the person that has been there. Further, consider eligibility. Running for elected office generally requires meeting legal eligibility requirements, completing formal filing steps, and building the practical capacity to campaign and govern. The specifics vary by office and jurisdiction, but the core elements are consistent. Eligibility requirements mostly relate to age, residency, and citizenship in accordance with the local, state, and federal laws. One will also need to be a registered voter in the jurisdiction one is vying to represent. Finally, one must ensure there is no disqualifying legal restrictions (National Conference of State Legislators, 2026).
In Texas, the requirements depend on the specific office, but the core process is the same statewide:
Basic Eligibility (Texas)
· S. citizen
· Registered Texas voter
· Meet age and residency requirements for the specific office
· No final felony conviction (unless pardoned or rights restored)
Choose How You Will Run
· Party primary (Democratic or Republican), or
· Independent (or minor party, if applicable)
Ballot Access
· File an application for a place on the ballot with the correct authority (party chair or election office)
· Pay a filing fee or submit a petition with required signatures
· Meet strict Texas filing deadlines (these vary by office and election year)
Campaign Setup (Legally Required)
· File a Campaign Treasurer Appointment (Form JC or GP) before spending or raising money
· Open a campaign bank account
· Comply with Texas Ethics Commission rules
Fundraising & Reporting
· Follow Texas contribution limits and source rules
· File periodic campaign finance reports with the Texas Ethics Commission
· Include required political advertising disclosures
Campaigning
· Develop a platform and messaging
· Conduct voter outreach (block walking, phone banking, events, digital)
· Participate in forums and debates (Texas Secretary of State, 2026).
Nurse in Elected Office
Lauren Underwood is an RN and U.S. Representative from Illinois (14th Congressional District).
· Profession: Registered Nurse (RN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
· Political party: Democrat
· First elected to Congress: 2018
· Significance: One of the first nurses of color elected to the U.S. Congress
Before Congress, Underwood worked in public health and health policy, including roles at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she focused on implementation of the Affordable Care Act. In Congress, she is widely recognized for leadership on healthcare access and affordability, maternal health, including efforts to reduce maternal mortality, public health infrastructure, and nursing and healthcare workforce issues.
Explain why running for office is important for nurses to consider.
The main reason for nurses to run for office is that basically, politicians do not understand the stakes of issues nurses advocate for. This is not to attribute blame to the gross majority of politicians who do not appear to understand health and nursing issues. As nurses, we understand the needs related to health. Politicians are more likely to understand needs in fields from which they come. A builder or contractor is not expected to understand healthcare needs of communities as well as a nurse will do. As such, to effect more change in health in our communities, getting more nurses to run for office and become representatives is the way to bring change in healthcare to our communities (Haney, 2022). An example is Representative Lauren Underwood introduced above who is championing healthcare coverage and women’s health courses.
According to Curley and John (2024), the number of nurses in elected office decreased in the past decade. This is the wrong direction. As though nursing representation is not small enough, it is dwindling further. Legislators play a major role in funding and regulating healthcare policy. The Affordable Care Act subsidies are curtailed, leaving the policy almost of no use to most who use it for healthcare coverage. This is simply an example of what happens when even fewer nurses are in elected office. The dwindling number of nurses in elected office might not have necessarily caused the policy change in the Affordable Care Act. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that less representation worsens the chances of improvement in healthcare policy.
The decision to run for office is not an easy one. The challenge is enormous and the obstacles are high. However, when a nurse does decide to take this leap, there will be a lot of support around (Kaplan, 2023). As nurses, we must throw our support behind the candidate. We must move away from the phenomenon of ‘nurses eating their young’ and embrace nurses supporting their own. In this way, we will not just be supporting the candidate, but all those the nurse is running to represent.
References:
Curley, D. J., & Stone, P. W. (2024). Nurse state legislators, 2013 to 2023. Nursing Outlook, 72(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.102102Links to an external site.
Haney, B. (2022). Making a difference by serving in public office: Why we need more nurses in politics. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 34(8), 951–953. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000748Links to an external site.
Kaplan, L. (2023). Healing Politics is here to help NPs advocate by running for office. Nurse Practitioner, 48(7), 12–15. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NPR.0000000000000062Links to an external site.
National Conference of State Legislatures. (2026, January 8). Summary 2026 candidate filing deadlines. https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/2026-candidate-filing-deadlinesLinks to an external site.
Texas Secretary of State. (2026). Candidate’s guide to nomination and general election for 2026. https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/guide/2026/index.shtmlLinks to an external site.