ABOUT GROUND GAME
So you’re running for office.
Now what?
SHALA PASCUCCI
CREATOR OF GROUND GAME
That’s a question I wish someone had answered when I ran for local office.
I wasn’t expecting anyone to run my campaign for me. But I did expect that people who’d been through the process, including those already holding office, might help explain how things worked.
Instead, I spent an awful lot of time piecing things together myself.
And the most frustrating part? I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. It’s hard to ask the right questions when you have no idea what you should be asking.
As I became more involved in local politics, I discovered I wasn’t alone. Other candidates shared similar frustrations. They were willing to put in the work, but too often, the practical guidance wasn’t there.
Political organizations and experienced campaign people have years of knowledge. Yet somehow, candidates can still find themselves starting from scratch.
That’s a lousy system. And it’s an unnecessary one.
Through my work with local candidates, I’ve seen another side of the problem.
I’ve helped candidates develop their messages, prepare speeches, improve their public speaking, and communicate more clearly with voters. I’ve also led workshops to help candidates recognize what isn’t working and learn how to fix it.
The problems are often surprisingly ordinary.
01
A candidate has a compelling reason for running but can’t explain it in two minutes.
02
A speech is full of information but doesn’t give anyone a reason to care.
03
A campaign has plenty to say but no clear message tying it together.
These things can be taught. So can a lot of the other skills candidates are expected to pick up on their own.
My professional background has shaped how I approach that work.
Social work taught me about human behavior, psychology, body language, and how people communicate.
Teaching English taught me to work with language, organize ideas, and make complicated information understandable.
Website design brought branding, marketing, visual communication, and the challenge of making a clear impression.
Those aren’t separate from campaigning. They’re part of it.
Add my own experience as a candidate and school board trustee, and I’ve seen the problem from both sides: what it’s like to need guidance and what happens when someone finally gets it.
I kept coming back to the same question:
Why are we making people figure all of this out from scratch?
Ground Game is my attempt to make some of that practical knowledge easier to find and use.
It’s a free toolkit for local candidates, volunteers, and grassroots organizers working without professional campaign staff.
The Technique Cards tackle specific campaign problems with practical methods, examples, and exercises. The Game Plans help people sort through the work and figure out what to tackle next.
No magic formulas. No assumption that you already know the political lingo. And no pretending that a few tips can replace the judgment and experience it takes to run a campaign.
Just useful guidance that gives people somewhere to start and something concrete to do.
Because basic campaign knowledge shouldn’t depend on who you know or what you can afford.
I work professionally with candidates and organizations on political messaging, speeches, communication, and website design. That work is separate from Ground Game.
I believe there’s room for both: professional services for campaigns that need individualized help, and free, practical resources for people who need to understand the basics and get moving.
Ground Game won’t replace experienced campaign staff, trusted local advisers, or legal and compliance guidance.
But it can help close a gap that shouldn’t be nearly as wide as it is.
Questions, corrections, or ideas?
Found something that needs fixing? Have a question about a Game Plan or an idea for something Ground Game should cover? I’d like to hear from you.
Rather send an email? You can reach me at groundgameguides@gmail.com.
Want to support Ground Game?
Ground Game is free to use, and that’s not changing.
If you’ve found something useful here and want to show a little appreciation, you can pick up something from the Blue Shade shop. And if you or someone you know needs a website, referrals are always welcome.
No pressure. Using Ground Game and sharing it with someone who needs it is support, too.