Lessons from Running for Local Office: Run Again, Says Councilmember Jessica Wignall

Jessica Wignall, an alumna of LCV’s Candidate Academy training with Stewardship Utah last spring, was elected to the West Jordan, UT City Council in November. She’d started her campaign a little tired, having just run, and lost, a race for a seat in the Utah state legislature. With her ultimate victory, and that of fellow Candidate Academy alumna Annette Harris, there is now a pro-conservation majority on the West Jordan City Council.

The pro-conservation majority on the Council means they have the votes to join Utah’s Community Renewable Energy Program. The program is a statewide collaboration of cities and counties committed to transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2030.

“This race was a priority for environmental advocates because of the opportunity to bring West Jordan into the program,” Jessica says.

Like most of the state, West Jordan is growing fast. Responding to that growth will drive many of Jessica’s priorities in office. For example, water scarcity is fast becoming a serious issue. Jessica wants to see West Jordan adopt stricter rules for developers regarding the provision of water for new housing units.

“There are nearby towns that require developers to provide water resources for new housing units, and we can do that in West Jordan too,” Jessica explains.

Jessica decided to run for office out of frustration; she felt that people like her lack representation in Utah. “I was really invested the second time around, and the election was very close. When I realized that I could still lose the race [during the ballot count], my stomach was in knots,” she remembers.

Jessica’s message for future candidates: run again. Though she lost her first campaign, she brought many lessons from it into her second.

“The key difference in this campaign was better time management. Running citywide, I had a lot of ground to cover with my doorknocking, and I planned my time in the field better,” she says.

She also found fundraising and communications easier. “I was much more comfortable speaking with voters in the second campaign, and I relied more heavily on social media,” Jessica reflects. She also believes that because she had run before, name recognition was a factor in her victory.

Jessica also made it a point to engage voters of all perspectives and political persuasions.

“People need to feel that you are being genuine with them, and not just trying to get a vote. I was always clear about my stance, but was also careful to say to voters ‘Tell me why this matters to you, I may change my mind.’”

One thing that surprised her was how much more engaged voters were at the local level than when she ran for state legislature.

“West Jordan residents are super dialed in. I got way more texts and emails about this race than I did when I was running for HD-39. The high level of engagement made me feel like I could make a huge difference on the council,” Jessica explains.

“I learned I can do hard things, both with this race and running for HD-39. It’s flattering when such a large number of people believe in you, and it gives you confidence.”

Jessica encourages others to go for it if they want to make change in their communities. Many people told her that she was brave to run.

“People said ‘Good for you, for having the courage to do this.’ So many people think about it, but they think someone else will step up. You’re someone! If you’re thinking about it, get involved in a campaign and explore if it’s something you want to do,” Jessica says.

Our country urgently needs more leaders who share our vision of a world with a healthy environment and healthy communities, protected by a just and equitable democracy. To empower more people in our movement to become leaders, LCV and our state affiliates offer robust leadership development opportunities. Read more about LCV’s Candidate Academy and other programs.