Background
By signing the U.S. Term Limits (USTL) pledge, you’ve indicated your support for the most popular and bipartisan issue in America. To let citizen-voters know of your stance, USTL will send press releases while publishing your story via traditional and social media. But our actions as a public policy group are no substitute for yours. The most effective way to capitalize on signing the pledge is by making it the centerpiece of your campaign. Here’s how to do that.
Discuss Your Pledge at Interviews and Events
Term limits is unique among political issues in that it alienates no one; 80% of voters are supportive. Don’t miss any opportunity to resonate with voters by sharing that you have signed the USTL pledge and look forward to sponsoring the resolution on your first day in office.
Put a Term Limits Section on Your Website
Voters frequently visit campaign websites and social media pages to learn more about candidates. Having a “congressional term limits” section front and center creates a great first impression by making it likely that the first issue your visitors see is one they agree with. This need not be more than a short statement that you have signed the USTL pledge along with some general talking points about why term limits are important, i.e. “to stop corruption and put a check on the power of incumbency.”
Run Ads on Term Limits
In the 2014 race for Illinois governor, Republican Bruce Rauner dethroned a Democratic incumbent in a Democratic stronghold using a simple strategy: he ran his entire campaign on term limits. Rauner’s endless blitz of term limits ads was too much for his opponent to overcome. Likewise, in Florida’s 2018 U.S. Senate race, Rick Scott beat 50-year officeholder Bill Nelson on a term limits-centric platform. Similar outcomes have played out at both the state and federal level in closely-contested races. Term limits is a winning issue online, on mail, on TV, and on the radio.
Call Out Your Opponents
If you have opponents who have not signed the USTL pledge, don’t miss an opportunity to call them out publicly and question why they refuse to stand with the 80% of voters who back term limits for Congress. Doing this will establish yourself as the leading candidate on the issue while creating contrast with opponents who are viewed as standing with the D.C. establishment. This strategy can be particularly useful in primaries where there is often a great degree of agreement on issues and it is more harder for one person to stand out.
Reach Out to U.S. Term Limits
U.S. Term Limits cannot endorse you but you can endorse us. We are always happy to provide a helpful quote or comment to the media, and in some cases we may send a USTL representative to your event (virtual or in-person) to stand with you and explain the importance of your pledge. Please note that this is a service we offer to all candidates, so it is best if you are the first person in your given race to sign the pledge.