How do you defeat an entrenched congressman?

[BadMachines]

I'm not really one that's keen on sharing my location, but I've lived in Kentucky's fifth district for almost 21 years now. Every year I go to vote, there are Republicans that run unopposed and Democrats that don't stand a snowball's chance in hell. This state bleeds red, my county bleeds red and the people here will not change their minds even if you slapped them with a book of facts.

Hal Rogers has to go. He's done too much damage and his ego is sickening. He beat his opponent with 50% of the vote, give or take. We had white trash state congressmen bragging about the "Red Wall" stopping the Blue Wave in Kentucky. Maybe I'm an idealist but I think Rogers can be beaten. However, the Republican Party and the conservative mindset dominate this state and anyone that really would consider voting for the Democrats wouldn't bother because they feel like their vote doesn't matter. I honestly don't blame them. Kentucky races usually get called within 5 minutes of polls closing, whether presidential or congressional.

So all that said, how would one go about knocking this guy out?

[aeromanKC]

1. Run

Many who won this year said the same thing in their district. They took action. They ran for office themselves. Grassroots the hell out of them!!

[world wide wally]

2. I hate to say it, but money

[RandySF]

3. That district has been Republican since before the Civil War.

My mom was born and raised there.

[Blue_true]

4. Start now.

Quietly organize registration drives, help people that need money for IDs, my oldest brother gave up his driver's license for a Florida ID, the ID cost $35, not an issue for him, but a lot of people may have issues springing for $35. Once you get people registered, keep them involved. Someone mentioned periodic social gatherings like quarterly communal meals. During the gatherings, educate people on the benefit of voting, point out how not voting hurts them.

If you have Blacks in your district, I bet that as a group, they are under registered. The above registration concept allows you to beat voter suppression and get people registered.

The key is to have a large, informed base of voters when that bastard comes up for reelection in 2020. Have those people ready to vote and involved. Then soundly defeat his ass.

[nevergiveup]

5. A good candidate and lots of money

Check Illinois 14th Congressional District

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. Run for office yourself.

Start NOW. Raise money, put out feelers, organize volunteers. Do not let him stay in office.

One big mistake a lot of candidates make is that they don't get started early enough. To run against an entrenched Congressman you need to start now, two years before the next election. Same for the Senate. If you're thinking about your state house or senate, a year to 18 months is probably sufficient.

I mean it. Run yourself. And if that is simply unrealistic, try very hard to locate a suitable candidate before Christmas. Appoint yourself campaign manager.

Here are some practical ideas:

Contact your local junior college, and see if you can offer students some kind of internship credit for working on your campaign. Make sure you set up specific benchmarks, make sure they have to write some kind of report. You will need to coordinate this with a professor, most likely in the history department who is willing to go along.

It's slightly possible you could do something similar with high school students.

When you go door-to-door, make notes on every contact. Then send a postcard to every single voter who seems remotely likely to vote for you. Trust me, it's effective. And if you lose the election, you will use the postcard list as the underpinnings of the next campaign: send a postcard to every voter you thought might vote for you when you gear up for the second run.

Make friends with the local unions. They should be very favorable to Democrats in the first place.

Try to set up some focus groups. Find someone who has basic mediation skills to find out what the voters want. These should be very small, for the most part. 5-8 people in someone's living room, up to maybe 15 or so in a meeting room at the local library.

And if you personally choose not to run, try hard to find someone who will, and do as many of these things as you can on their behalf.

[diva77]

7. rohrabacher was entrenched in CA but after Dump election (possibly earlier), people

started showing up consistently at Rohr's office to protest, also sent notes, cards, demanded town halls, held signs up in locations regularly and finally, after 15 terms, he's HISTORY!!!! Lots of organizing!

[Awsi Dooger]

8. 97% white and Trump got 80% of the vote

I hate to say it but I see no path. That is exactly the type of district that has been slipping further and further away. Bush beat Gore 57-42 but now it's Trump 80 Hillary 17.

The only one who would defeat Rogers is a younger more vicious Republican if primaried