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Deciding to run a political campaign for the first time can be a confusing process, especially for independent candidates running outside of the two-party system. That’s why Good Party Academy (GPA) was created — to help potential first-time candidates learn essential skills and strategies for launching effective campaigns.
As Good Party prepares to launch two new cohorts of Good Party Academy — one in Arkansas and another in California — we want to spotlight one of the leaders of this free online course: Good Party’s political director, Jared Alper.
Jared Alper began volunteering with Good Party during the summer of 2020, and joined the team in his current role in January 2021. Since then, he has led the way in developing Good Party’s political strategy and building strong relationships with prospective and active candidates across the country. Alper also plays a key role in making Good Party’s free campaign technology as effective at solving candidates’ problems as it can be.
Jared Alper brings experience from ten years of running dozens of campaigns to Good Party and GPA. In his own words, “I’ve learned something new from every campaign that I have worked on, and that’s because no two campaigns are the same. I’ve had the privilege to lead independent campaigns for the U.S. Senate and House where the pressure, stakes, and impact could not be higher. I’ve also worked on many more local campaigns in cities and towns across the country which, while not the shiniest object, often have a larger impact on the day-to-day life of our communities.”
Alper has also written extensive commentary on democracy and election reform. His work has been featured in The Hill, The Wall Street Journal, Real Clear Politics, New York Daily News, and other publications.
Throughout all the campaigns he has served on, one observation has remained the same for Alper: Americans are ready for change in our political system. The two-party system has alienated and disappointed far too many voters, leaving Americans hungry for a new way forward.
“People have very understandably lost faith in the two parties to deliver a healthy culture around our politics, let alone a functional, representative democracy,” Alper said. “I have seen on too many occasions, the relief and excitement on the faces of voters when they meet a viable candidate running outside of the two-party system.”
The goal of Good Party Academy is to help more people feel capable of running viable campaigns outside of the two-party system, generating more excitement and hope for the future of American politics. Good Party Academy is great for people thinking about running for office at all levels of government, from school board and city council all the way up to Congress. Alper leads Good Party Academy with fellow political strategist Rob Booth, Good Party’s head of field and mobilization. Together, they bring 25 years of combined experience and help prospective candidates learn everything they need to know to launch winning campaigns. Topics include best practices for running an effective campaign, as well as how to prepare for the emotional experience of campaigning.
This training can be especially helpful for independent and non-partisan candidates, who are running without the support of an established political party.
“Too often, good people with good intentions and good reasons for running, end up jumping into the political arena without properly preparing for the experience of being a candidate,” Alper said. “That’s especially true for independent candidates who generally don’t have access to the training, staff, and resources that a political party can offer their candidates.”
Good Party Academy can help fill in these gaps, giving independent candidates the training and resources they need to run a campaign with confidence. Participating in Good Party Academy doesn’t require any commitment to run for office; it simply helps people considering a campaign find the best course for them.
“Ultimately, our goal is to help our participants fully understand what goes into running for office so that, if they choose to run, they have the knowledge and training to manage the inevitable ups and downs that come with life on the campaign trail and are able to accomplish their goals of getting elected to serve their communities,” Alper said.
Now is the time to reach out about joining the next cohort of Good Party Academy! If you want to connect with Jared and learn what it takes to run an effective political campaign, sign up for Good Party Academy today.
