What does it actually take to run for office?

In this episode of Learned Too Late, former Miss America and congressional candidate Mallory Hagan breaks down the real, behind-the-scenes mechanics of running a political campaign — from exploratory committees and fundraising to voter outreach and campaign infrastructure.

Mallory shares her journey from moving to New York at 19 with $1,000, to winning Miss America 2013, to running for Congress in Alabama — twice.

We discuss:

• How to run for office (step-by-step)
• Filing to get on the ballot
• Building a campaign team
• How political fundraising actually works
• What campaign managers do
• Field operations, voter data, and turnout strategy ...