The University of Kentucky has some political science research underway that studies the experience of candidates for public office. If you have run for public office recently, please use this link to complete the questionaire. The project has been underway since 2006, although at this time, the researchers only want candidates who ran in 2014. Here is the link.
It doesn’t matter whether it was a partisan office or a non-partisan office; it doesn’t matter whether you had a big campaign or a small one; your input is valuable. The questionaire may take up to 20 minutes to complete, and allows room for the candidate to add his or her own free-form comments.
I am pleasantly surprised the Questionnaire includes 3rd party and Independent candidates. And it is my hope that 3rd party and Independent candidates who respond will point out that lack of exposure and being taken seriously by the media, is one of the major causes 3rd party and Independent candidates do not fare as well as Democrat and/or Republican candidates.
Of course, not having the money to make the voters aware of the 3rd party and/or Independent candidacy is another major factor which reflects the outcomes.
I trust the University of Kentucky will not ignore these facts, if and when they make the results of the Questionnaire public.