Running for Office Shouldn’t Be Just for the Rich and Well-Connected, Holy Cross’ Jamie Hoag Says

In 2002 the Federal Election Commission began allowing non-incumbent candidates for federal office use campaign funds to pay themselves a salary. This decision was designed as an incentive for people of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to enter the political fray.

In a piece for Commonwealth Magazine, Holy Cross Director of Government and Community Relations Jamie Hoag writes that Massachusetts would benefit from the same rule. “A career in public service understandably involves some financial sacrifice, but the system is stacked against many new candidates who do not have the means or ability to ditch their current jobs to make a run for elected office,” says Hoag, who also served as deputy chief legal counsel and ethics adviser to former governor Deval Patrick. “This leaves many qualified people on the sidelines.”

To read more, visit CommonWealthMagazine.org.