There’s an old saying that politics isn’t for the faint of heart. After running for state Assembly in 2024, I can honestly say that statement is absolutely true.
As most of you know, I ran for California’s 40th Assembly District seat against Pilar Schiavo. I was the only Republican in the race. We came within roughly five percentage points of winning. Close enough to see the finish line, but not close enough to cross it.
Losing an election is a humbling experience. There’s no other way to put it. You spend months pouring every ounce of energy into a campaign. You shake hands until your arm feels like it’s going to fall off. You attend forums, community events, debates and late-night meetings. You talk to voters at stores, parks, restaurants and neighborhood gatherings. You sacrifice time with your family. You spend sleepless nights thinking about strategy, messaging, fundraising and whether people hear what you are trying to say.
Then Election Day comes, and regardless of the outcome, reality hits hard.
Did I make mistakes? Absolutely. Anyone who says otherwise after running for office is probably fooling themselves. Campaigning taught me lessons you simply cannot learn from watching politics on TV or arguing online. Politics is personal. Politics is emotional. Politics is strategic. Sometimes politics can be downright ugly.
I learned that every decision matters. Every word matters. Every endorsement matters. Every social media post matters. Every rumor matters. In politics, even silence can matter.
But despite the bruises and frustrations, the experience gave me insight into how campaigns operate behind the scenes. I saw the good in people, but I also saw pride, ego, manipulation and political theater take center stage far too often.
Fast forward to today’s election cycle. The Republican side of the 40th Assembly race now has three candidates competing for attention and support. At the statewide level, there are several Republican candidates positioning themselves for governor. In L.A. politics, we are seeing high-profile clashes involving figures like Spencer Pratt, Karen Bass and Nithya Raman. Everywhere you look, political narratives are colliding.
And as always, dirt gets thrown around. Sometimes there’s truth mixed into it. Sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes facts are stretched just enough to create confusion. Sometimes people deliberately weaponize half-truths because they know voters rarely have time to fully investigate every claim they hear.
That’s modern politics.
One thing I’ve noticed more than anything this cycle is how quickly pride can consume campaigns. Candidates begin listening only to the people who tell them what they want to hear. Campaign teams form their own echo chambers. Advisors offer opinions, predictions, polling theories and strategy ideas. Some advice is excellent and insightful. Some advice is absolutely terrible.
The dangerous part is that inexperienced candidates often cannot tell the difference.
I’ve watched people become so obsessed with winning that they forget why they wanted to run in the first place. Public service slowly gets replaced by ego. Listening gets replaced by talking. Conviction gets replaced by political calculation.
Voters should pay attention to that. Watch how candidates handle criticism. Watch how they treat people when cameras are not around. Watch whether they answer difficult questions directly or simply repeat rehearsed talking points. Watch whether they are capable of humility. Those things matter far more than flashy mailers, dramatic campaign videos, or social media attacks.
Politics today also suffers from another major problem: Too many people blindly follow endorsements without doing their own homework. An endorsement is not a substitute for independent thinking. Just because a politician, organization, influencer, or public figure supports someone does not automatically mean that candidate is the right choice for you or your community. Voters should take the time to research positions, voting records, priorities and character for themselves.
We live in an era where information moves faster than truth. A viral clip can shape public opinion before anyone even verifies whether it is accurate. Outrage spreads faster than facts. Social media rewards emotional reactions more than thoughtful discussion. That creates an environment where division becomes profitable.
And unfortunately, many campaigns lean into it.
My advice to voters this election cycle is simple: Slow down and pay attention. Be informed instead of emotionally led by others. Ask questions. Look deeper than slogans. Don’t let anger make decisions for you. Don’t let personalities distract you from policies. Don’t assume the loudest candidate is the strongest one.
Most importantly, remember that elections affect real people and real communities long after campaign signs come down.
Running for office changed my perspective on politics forever. It taught me that campaigns reveal both the best and worst sides of human nature. Pride can destroy good candidates. Humility can strengthen imperfect ones. And voters have far more power than they sometimes realize.
At the end of the day, democracy only works when citizens are willing to think for themselves.
Patrick Lee Gipson is a Santa Clarita resident and former deputy sheriff. “Right Here, Right Now” appears Saturdays and rotates among local Republicans.
