Presidential Candidate

You’re running for president, the head of the government’s executive branch. The general election isn’t until November, but the primaries and caucuses are under way, and you’re trying to win your party’s nomination. You kick off the day by meeting with your campaign manager. She’s the most important person in the campaign—besides you! Her job: planning the strategy to get you elected.

You’ve been crisscrossing the country for months, trying to attract voters. Yesterday you campaigned in North Carolina. You have one more event there today: a town hall meeting at a high school. Small gatherings like this let you hear people’s concerns and answer their questions directly. Hoping to sway undecided voters, you begin by sharing your plan to improve school safety, an important issue in 2020.

With Super Tuesday just around the corner on March 3, it’s time to head to another state: Virginia. But thanks to social media, you can connect with voters nationwide while you’re on the road. You tweet a recap of the town hall, then host an Instagram Live Q&A from your campaign bus.

Time for lunch, with a side of campaigning! You give a stump speech near a popular diner just across the Virginia border. You try to win over voters by shaking hands and posing for photos. Making time for selfies shows that you care about individual voters. Plus, if people post their photos online, the pictures help boost your visibility and get you some free advertising. Cha-ching!

Balancing local and national events on the campaign trail can be challenging, but it’s key that you make time for both. First, you stop by a studio to film a series of local TV interviews, fielding questions from reporters. Next, you record ads for Facebook.

With so much work to be done, you’re grateful that you have thousands of volunteers on your side. You swing by one of your campaign offices to thank members of your team, starting with a group of seventh-graders. Even though these students are too young to vote, they’ve been helping your campaign by registering voters. They know that the next president will help shape their future.

Debates are an important part of campaigning. During dinner, your staff stages a mock debate. You practice showcasing your ideas, answering tough questions, and responding to verbal attacks from opponents. Debates air live on TV and mistakes can cost you votes, so you need to be prepared.

Your final event of the day is a rally in Richmond, Virginia, where thousands of people have gathered to hear you speak. You’re hoping your message will resonate with voters—and that they’ll be inspired to donate to your campaign. After all, you need millions of dollars to pay for ads, travel expenses, and more.

Running for president requires a lot of energy—and time away from your loved ones. You FaceTime your family (and your dog!) from your hotel room, then try to get some shut-eye. There’s a long road ahead of you, but if you win the presidency, it’ll all be worth it. You’ve dreamed of serving as the country’s commander in chief since middle school!