May 6, 2025 • 9 mins
Thinking about tossing your hat in the ring but not sure where to begin? In this kickoff episode, Nick breaks down the exact questions he asked himself—family impact, time, cost, party fit, and gut‑level motivation—so you can decide whether running for local office is the right move for you.Click here to view the episode transcript.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Back in December, I got an email from a lady named
Ginny. She's the secretary ofthe local Democratic committee,
and she asked me if I'd everconsider running for local
office. In our town of Webster,New York, there was gonna be two
open seats on the town board, aposition open for town
supervisor and town justice. Nowthis email wasn't totally out of
(00:29):
the blue. Ginny's been knockingon my door for the last ten
years, whether it's petitioningor just asking me to vote.
And every time she came to mydoor, I said, you know what,
Ginny? One of these days, I'mgonna get involved. And it is
something that I've beenthinking about for the last
decade. Like a lot of people, Istarted paying attention to
politics back in 2015 whenDonald Trump launched his
(00:50):
campaign, and that was a prettybig turning point for me. It
changed my entire media diet.
I went from being a casualheadline checker to somebody who
regularly reads the New YorkTimes and consumes every podcast
like Pod Save America, NPRPolitics Podcast, The Axe Files
with David Axelrod. Anythingthat was talking about
(01:11):
governance, I was in. But in allreality, I'm a dad, a husband,
we have three little kids athome, I worked full time, and I
didn't have a lot of time. Andto be honest, I was scared.
Scared of the commitment andscared of doing something that I
wasn't even sure I was qualifiedfor.
But when this email came up,this opportunity came, I said,
(01:31):
yes. Please. I'd love to getinvolved. And this podcast, this
is about what happened afterthat. This is my story of
running for office.
My name is Nick Hunter. Welcometo Town Board. Before we get
into the messy complicatedparts, and there are a few, I
think it makes sense to stepback and talk a little bit about
who I am. Am I qualified to runfor office? Is this something
(01:54):
that an everyday person can do?
So who am I? I'm a 35 year oldhusband, been married for ten
years, a father of three, twoamazing daughters, six and
eight, and a 10 old son. Mygirls go to our local public
elementary school, whichconveniently is located right
across the street from ourhouse, and we are in every sense
invested in this community.Professionally, I spent the last
(02:15):
twelve years working ininsurance and finance, claims
handling, litigation, riskmanagement, compliance, sales
leadership. I've led teams,built systems, managed agencies.
On paper, I'm a business guy. Ihold a degree in business
administration from a smallschool here in the Rochester
area, Roberts WesleyanUniversity, and a master's
degree in business analyticsfrom the University of
(02:36):
Rochester. But I say on paperbecause that's not all that I
am. I'm also intensely curious.And for most of my life, I've
lived in the tension between thelogical, analytical side of my
brain and the creative,expressive one.
I actually started college as amusic performance major. Music
theater was my love, and thatworld really shaped me. The
(02:57):
rehearsal process, the emotionalstorytelling, the connection
with audiences, And honestly,that part of me never really
left the stage. Yeah. That wasme.
(03:54):
I share this because I thinkrunning for office is a little
like standing on stage. It'svulnerable. You have to know
your material. You have tolisten to the room. You have to
be honest even when it'suncomfortable.
So I say yes. What comes next? Ineeded to meet with the local
leadership of the DemocraticCommittee. We sat down for about
an hour and talked through mybackground, my experience, and
(04:16):
what I was hoping to bring tothe table. I also asked a lot of
questions, trying to get a senseof what the committee and the
town were really looking for andwhether I would be a good fit.
Unlike Parks and Rec, theyweren't actively recruiting or
pushing anyone forward. This ismore like a fact finding
mission, and they were stayingneutral. Still, they let me know
that I felt like myqualifications could line up
(04:38):
with a run for town board oreven a town supervisor. Before
moving forward, they asked me tosubmit a formal letter of intent
along with my resume to confirmmy interest. I then needed to
talk to my wife.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Hey. Hi. So
Speaker 3 (04:59):
what do you think about me running for office?
Well,
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I I think it's going to be a journey and experience
to start.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Time commitment.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
A time commitment. I think that there's a lot of
factors that we take intoconsideration with this
decision. We have threechildren. Mhmm. And I work a
full time job also.
Mhmm. So we're busy. But thatdoesn't mean that it's not
(05:35):
doable. Sure. And that it's notimportant.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I do think it's important.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I do too.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
I think it's right up my alley.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I do too.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Something I've literally been talking to you
about forever.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
The most of the time that I've known you, you've been
talking about this. I think it'sa great thing, not just for you,
but for our town.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
I think you could do a lot of a lot of good.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
I'd like to. So you're in?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
I'm in.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Okay. Anything town board makes sense?
Speaker 2 (06:27):
It does make sense.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
It's a good good spot for you to get a feel for what's
needed and find your your niche.Sure.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Alright.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I think you have good ideas. I think you care.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Of course, I do.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
But I mean, more than more than most, one of the
reasons I fell in love with youis because you're you're
passionate, and you really careabout what you're involved in.
You put your heart and soul intoit.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I try to.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And I think you'll do it for this as well.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
That's really sweet.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
I love you.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I love you. So I guess I'm running for office.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
I think you can do
Speaker 3 (07:22):
it. Alright. You gonna help me?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
I'm gonna need that.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
So Colleen was my first yes. And the next step was
to make it official. So I sentover my resume and my letter of
intent to the committee. And itwas the first time that I had
really put into words why Iwanted to run, to see a local
government that was much moretransparent, to have more
residents at the table, and Iwanted to feel like the town
board actually reflected thepeople who lived here. Soon
(07:51):
after, I was invited to thecommittee's designation meeting.
This is where each candidate hasa chance to introduce
themselves, kinda sellthemselves before the committee
who then votes if they wannasupport you. I was nervous. This
was my first real audition forpublic service. I was kinda up
in the front of the room withfour other candidates, each one
running for their ownperspective spots, two of us for
(08:13):
town board, one for townsupervisor, and one for town
justice. They gave me fiveminutes to speak, and I told
them who I am, a husband of 10,father of three, professional
with a decade and of experiencein finance and compliance, a
public school parent, and a guywho's passionate about policy
and tired of political theater.
And then they voted. All but onevoted to approve me, which is
(08:37):
pretty cool. And that was themoment that it got real. This
thing that I had quietly beenthinking about for years
suddenly had weight andresponsibility. I wasn't just
interested anymore.
I was in. Well, sort of. I stillneeded to petition to confirm my
name was on the ballot. Sothat's where we start. This
podcast is for anyone who's everthought about maybe I could run
(08:58):
for office someday.
It's for people who care abouttheir towns. It's for voters who
deserve to hear more than soundbites, and it's for me, a place
to process this wild ride inreal time. Thank you so much for
listening. If this resonatedwith you, if you wanna see a
different kind of leadership, Ihope you follow my journey.
Subscribe and share thisepisode.
(09:18):
This is TownBoard, and we'rejust getting started.
Back in December, I got an email from a lady named
Ginny. She's the secretary ofthe local Democratic committee,
and she asked me if I'd everconsider running for local
office. In our town of Webster,New York, there was gonna be two
open seats on the town board, aposition open for town
supervisor and town justice. Nowthis email wasn't totally out of
(00:29):
the blue. Ginny's been knockingon my door for the last ten
years, whether it's petitioningor just asking me to vote.
And every time she came to mydoor, I said, you know what,
Ginny? One of these days, I'mgonna get involved. And it is
something that I've beenthinking about for the last
decade. Like a lot of people, Istarted paying attention to
politics back in 2015 whenDonald Trump launched his
(00:50):
campaign, and that was a prettybig turning point for me. It
changed my entire media diet.
I went from being a casualheadline checker to somebody who
regularly reads the New YorkTimes and consumes every podcast
like Pod Save America, NPRPolitics Podcast, The Axe Files
with David Axelrod. Anythingthat was talking about
(01:11):
governance, I was in. But in allreality, I'm a dad, a husband,
we have three little kids athome, I worked full time, and I
didn't have a lot of time. Andto be honest, I was scared.
Scared of the commitment andscared of doing something that I
wasn't even sure I was qualifiedfor.
But when this email came up,this opportunity came, I said,
(01:31):
yes. Please. I'd love to getinvolved. And this podcast, this
is about what happened afterthat. This is my story of
running for office.
My name is Nick Hunter. Welcometo Town Board. Before we get
into the messy complicatedparts, and there are a few, I
think it makes sense to stepback and talk a little bit about
who I am. Am I qualified to runfor office? Is this something
(01:54):
that an everyday person can do?
So who am I? I'm a 35 year oldhusband, been married for ten
years, a father of three, twoamazing daughters, six and
eight, and a 10 old son. Mygirls go to our local public
elementary school, whichconveniently is located right
across the street from ourhouse, and we are in every sense
invested in this community.Professionally, I spent the last
(02:15):
twelve years working ininsurance and finance, claims
handling, litigation, riskmanagement, compliance, sales
leadership. I've led teams,built systems, managed agencies.
On paper, I'm a business guy. Ihold a degree in business
administration from a smallschool here in the Rochester
area, Roberts WesleyanUniversity, and a master's
degree in business analyticsfrom the University of
(02:36):
Rochester. But I say on paperbecause that's not all that I
am. I'm also intensely curious.And for most of my life, I've
lived in the tension between thelogical, analytical side of my
brain and the creative,expressive one.
I actually started college as amusic performance major. Music
theater was my love, and thatworld really shaped me. The
(02:57):
rehearsal process, the emotionalstorytelling, the connection
with audiences, And honestly,that part of me never really
left the stage. Yeah. That wasme.
(03:54):
I share this because I thinkrunning for office is a little
like standing on stage. It'svulnerable. You have to know
your material. You have tolisten to the room. You have to
be honest even when it'suncomfortable.
So I say yes. What comes next? Ineeded to meet with the local
leadership of the DemocraticCommittee. We sat down for about
an hour and talked through mybackground, my experience, and
(04:16):
what I was hoping to bring tothe table. I also asked a lot of
questions, trying to get a senseof what the committee and the
town were really looking for andwhether I would be a good fit.
Unlike Parks and Rec, theyweren't actively recruiting or
pushing anyone forward. This ismore like a fact finding
mission, and they were stayingneutral. Still, they let me know
that I felt like myqualifications could line up
(04:38):
with a run for town board oreven a town supervisor. Before
moving forward, they asked me tosubmit a formal letter of intent
along with my resume to confirmmy interest. I then needed to
talk to my wife.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Hey. Hi. So
Speaker 3 (04:59):
what do you think about me running for office?
Well,
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I I think it's going to be a journey and experience
to start.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Time commitment.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
A time commitment. I think that there's a lot of
factors that we take intoconsideration with this
decision. We have threechildren. Mhmm. And I work a
full time job also.
Mhmm. So we're busy. But thatdoesn't mean that it's not
(05:35):
doable. Sure. And that it's notimportant.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I do think it's important.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
I do too.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
I think it's right up my alley.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I do too.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Something I've literally been talking to you
about forever.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
The most of the time that I've known you, you've been
talking about this. I think it'sa great thing, not just for you,
but for our town.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
I think you could do a lot of a lot of good.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
I'd like to. So you're in?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
I'm in.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Okay. Anything town board makes sense?
Speaker 2 (06:27):
It does make sense.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
It's a good good spot for you to get a feel for what's
needed and find your your niche.Sure.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Alright.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
I think you have good ideas. I think you care.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Of course, I do.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
But I mean, more than more than most, one of the
reasons I fell in love with youis because you're you're
passionate, and you really careabout what you're involved in.
You put your heart and soul intoit.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
I try to.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
And I think you'll do it for this as well.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
That's really sweet.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
I love you.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
I love you. So I guess I'm running for office.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
I think you can do
Speaker 3 (07:22):
it. Alright. You gonna help me?
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
I'm gonna need that.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
So Colleen was my first yes. And the next step was
to make it official. So I sentover my resume and my letter of
intent to the committee. And itwas the first time that I had
really put into words why Iwanted to run, to see a local
government that was much moretransparent, to have more
residents at the table, and Iwanted to feel like the town
board actually reflected thepeople who lived here. Soon
(07:51):
after, I was invited to thecommittee's designation meeting.
This is where each candidate hasa chance to introduce
themselves, kinda sellthemselves before the committee
who then votes if they wannasupport you. I was nervous. This
was my first real audition forpublic service. I was kinda up
in the front of the room withfour other candidates, each one
running for their ownperspective spots, two of us for
(08:13):
town board, one for townsupervisor, and one for town
justice. They gave me fiveminutes to speak, and I told
them who I am, a husband of 10,father of three, professional
with a decade and of experiencein finance and compliance, a
public school parent, and a guywho's passionate about policy
and tired of political theater.
And then they voted. All but onevoted to approve me, which is
(08:37):
pretty cool. And that was themoment that it got real. This
thing that I had quietly beenthinking about for years
suddenly had weight andresponsibility. I wasn't just
interested anymore.
I was in. Well, sort of. I stillneeded to petition to confirm my
name was on the ballot. Sothat's where we start. This
podcast is for anyone who's everthought about maybe I could run
(08:58):
for office someday.
It's for people who care abouttheir towns. It's for voters who
deserve to hear more than soundbites, and it's for me, a place
to process this wild ride inreal time. Thank you so much for
listening. If this resonatedwith you, if you wanna see a
different kind of leadership, Ihope you follow my journey.
Subscribe and share thisepisode.
(09:18):
This is TownBoard, and we'rejust getting started.
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