NDTC Learner Spotlight

Solena Sayer won her primary in March and is headed to the general election for Union County Justice of the Peace District 06 in El Dorado, Arkansas. She has lived in Union County for more than 25 years. It’s where she raised her children and built her life as a soldier, nurse, and teacher. She’s running because she wants the same thing for every family there: a community that is healthy, honest, and moving forward.

SUBSTACK

Meet the Trainer: Salim Shariff on Running Everywhere, Staying Data-Driven, and Why More People Need to Be Asked

Salim Shariff has run for office, trained candidates across the country, and has the receipts. I sat down with him to talk digital strategy and why campaigns keep copying the wrong playbook. Here’s a sneak peek:

NDTC: What are the biggest digital mistakes you see campaigns make?

Salim: Two big ones. First: chasing the playbook of a candidate you can’t possibly emulate. After Obama, everyone wanted that magic. After AOC, after Bernie, after Beto — campaigns keep trying to ride the wave of whoever just broke through. Right now it’s Zohran. And look, I’m not trying to dismiss what he did — the investment in vertical video, the fluency with younger audiences, that work matters. But most candidates are not as talented as Zohran Mamdani. What you can borrow is his laser focus on a core message. Affordability. Real, specific, consistent. Every candidate can do that. Bopping around your city doing TikTok-style videos when that’s not authentic to who you are — that’s the mistake.

ICYMI

Project Management for Campaigns
Strong project management won’t win an election by itself — but poor project management can absolutely lose one. This course teaches you how to plan backward from fixed deadlines, assign clear roles so nothing falls through the cracks, track progress without drowning in meetings, and adapt when things go wrong.