To increase its influence in American society, the Turkish American community must become more politically involved. One way to do this is supporting the election of Turkish Americans at high level positions in government, such as the United States Congress. But before that can happen we must first elect Turkish Americans to local positions including the numerous city councils, school boards and water districts across the United States.
Ergun Kirlikovali, President of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, recently sat down with John Alpay, a Turkish American who was elected in 2010 to the Board of Trustees of the Capistrano Unified School District (he currently serves as its Vice President) to discuss what it is like to run for local office and serve as an elected official. Below are some excerpts from that conversation
As an elected official, what is your current role?
As Trustee to the Capistrano Unified School District, I serve on a seven member board that oversees the eighth largest school district in California. With an annual budget of over $350 million, we are the largest employer in South Orange County with roughly 4,300 employees. We serve the needs of over 51,000 students in 56 campuses located in seven cities and five unincorporated areas encompassing over 195 square miles and 220,000 registered voters.
What do your constituents think about being represented by a Turkish American?
I don’t think most people know or give it much thought. It is my belief that people care more about whether I am doing a good job and that I have children in the schools just like them. That said I have had a few people ask me my background, to which I readily tell them about my heritage. I am proud of what I am, but at the same time I don’t go out of my way to advertise. I think I have been successful because I have projected myself as an elected official who happens to be a Turk as opposed to a Turk who happens to be an elected official.
What was the biggest adjustment for you once you took office?
After the election was over, I met with my opponent over lunch. Since he was the incumbent, he wanted to share some bits of advice with me. To this day I remember clearly the look in his eye when he strongly encouraged me not to allow the position to dominate my life. Now that I am two years into my service, with a family and full time job, I fully appreciate what he was trying to convey. It is a constant struggle to balance all of my duties and responsibilities.
So your position is not a full time job?
At times it certainly seems that way, with meetings, ceremonies and the time needed to prepare for all of the events. It is intended to be a part time position and pays only $350 per month so I won’t be retiring anytime soon.
What was the biggest surprise for you once you took office?
I should know better by now, but it always surprises me that people know who I am, leading me to believe my life is now in a fish bowl open for all to see. Often times I am approached by complete strangers, sometimes when I am well outside the school district boundaries and they thank me for the work that I do on the school board.
What was it like to run for office for such an important position?
Running for office is something that requires preparation, organization and patience. In 2008, at the last minute I decided to run for City Council in San Clemente. It was very difficult because I was unprepared without any organization I did not know enough people in town, had one volunteer and I was unable to raise money and get my message out. I finished in sixth place out of nine candidates.
The school district arguably occupies a higher profile position in South Orange County and made for a more difficult race. But in 2010 I was prepared with a core group of loyal volunteers and the ability to raise money. As a result, I was perceived as a serious candidate and received news coverage and people actually wanted to meet with me or attend my campaign events. When all the votes were counted, I was victorious with over 70,000 votes in the general election.
What did you do to prepare that made your second campaign successful?
I used the time between the elections to prepare for my next campaign. I made efforts to build relationships and network in my community and even jointed the local Rotary Club. I also sought and received appointments to high profile positions in town, such as serving as Commissioner on the Beaches, Parks and Recreation Commission for the City of San Clemente and as a member of the Budget & Finance Committee for my Homeowners Association. In terms of the local political party, I successfully ran to become a member of the Central Committee for the Orange County Republican Party. In short, I built up my name recognition and established a reputation as somebody serious, committed and hardworking. As a result, instead of seeking support of others in my run for office, they approached me and asked me to run.
How important was raising money to your campaign?
They often say that money is the lifeblood of politics and I readily agree. To run for local office, you need the ability to communicate with the voter. This means buying campaign signs, buttons, stickers, and of course campaign mailers. None of this is cheap. But volunteer labor, such as people going door to door for your benefit handing out literature can help in the effort. My last campaign cost $30,000 and at the time I thought I did not have enough money to win. Asking for money is a big part of the campaign and the most uncomfortable part as well, but it is something that any politician must be prepared to do.
What did you do to raise money?
The first rule of thumb is to start with the Christmas card list. These are typically the closest friends who are willing to donate and help. This is why it is so important to network and build relationships. It is also important to work with the business community. The local Chamber of Commerce is likely to have a political action committee that is able to donate a certain amount. And for members of the Democratic Party I’ve seen many of them achieve success in asking for contributions from organized labor. Above all else, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to donate. For example, all campaign websites, such as my own at www.johnalpay.com should be able to accept credit cards for sake of convenience.
You are up for reelection this Fall. What do you think are your chances of success?
This will be my third election in the last six years, so I think I have developed an efficient and effective game plan. But this will also be the first election for me where I am the incumbent instead of running against one. I already have a campaign manager, a core group of volunteers, a website up and running, contractual agreements with local providers for campaign mailers and I’ve already held one fundraising event. With all the preparation work complete, I am confident about my chances for reelection.
Do you have any recommendation for other Turkish Americans who wish to seek office?
My response to them would be to look at my history. It takes serious time commitment and anybody contemplating any efforts to become a politician should understand what is required. But more than that focus on my first mistake. As I said before, in 2008 I was not prepared, but used it as a lesson to lay a foundation for success in 2010. I can’t say it enough: preparation, organization and patience are critical. If somebody now develops the itch to run for office, they may be better served by starting now to prepare for 2014 as opposed to 2012.
Any plans for higher office?
I would love nothing more to be the first Turkish American to serve in the California State Assembly. But right now that is a full time position and I currently have a great career that I am not willing to walk away from. Also, my children are very young, with my youngest only two years old. The last election took me away from my family for long stretches of time and likely to do so again this year. I can only imagine how much more time it would take to run for higher office.
In talking with senior politicians, both on the state and federal level, they have all advised me to focus on my family and career at this stage in my life, especially considering I am not yet 40 years old. The advice has been remarkably uniform across the political spectrum. But just as I did between 2008 and 2010, I continue to network and build relationships so when the time is right, when the children are older, perhaps people will once again approach me to run for office. In essence, I’m following my own advice of preparation, organization and patience.
