Anthony Niedwiecki is a law professor running for public office in Oakland Park, Florida. A committed social activist, Niedwiecki and his husband, blogger Waymon Hudson, have faced some interesting challenges during Niedwiecki’s run for City Commissioner including hard core opposition from right wing fundamentalists. But that hasn’t stopped them from running an effective campaign, all on a shoe string budget. I caught up with Anthony to ask him how he has been able to run for public office on such a small budget.

1. When and why did you decide to run for office?
I decide over a year ago to run because I was unhappy with how some of the current commissioners were dealing with issues that mattered to me. I got involved in fighting the hateful anti-gay comments of Fort Lauderdale’s Mayor Jim Naugle, and I wanted to make sure that nobody in my city did the same thing. I’ve been am LGBT rights activist for a long time and I see this as another platform to talk about our issues and be a voice for all residents.

I also saw the problems of over-development throughout South Florida, and I wanted to be part of the solution to this problem. I decided that I have the time, energy and interest to make a difference, so my husband and I decided that I should step up and run. I have been running for almost 15 months now, and it has been good getting to know the residents and issues that matter to our city.

2. What was the budget for your campaign?
Times are hard for everyone, so we knew we would have to run this campaign on a tight budget. We have been very fortunate to receive so many donations from so many different people. I think we have taken more contributions from more people than any of the seven people running for office in Oakland Park. We are guided by the idea that we would rather many voters give small amounts than a few donors give large sums.

We decided to do as much work ourselves, and we wanted to use the internet and social networking to involve people in the campaign, so we have been able to run a smart and low-cost campaign using only around $15,000-20,000. Using new technology and social networking to reach voters has been extremely effective. I’m lucky that my husband happens to be an expert at political outreach using new media.

3. What challenges (if any) did you face trying to raise funds for your campaign?
The economy is the biggest challenge, and people are giving less money to candidates right now. We were able to use the internet, my activism in the community, and friends to help fund the campaign. We have been able to use social networking, blogs, and the internet to reach more people and get out our message. This has allowed us to receive money beyond those who live in the city.

4. Do you have any tips for people who are considering running for office?
If you want to run, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Local government is very important, and it takes a strong interest in your community to do this. It is very time consuming, and you really need to have the time, energy, and passion to do it. Use every tool you have to get your message out to anyone and everyone. We use not only our website (www.Anthony09.com), but also Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, and our blog to help spread our message.

Get to know the issues, and just listen to people. There are lots of smart and engaged people, and they will want to help those who are interested in making our communities better.

Most importantly, have fun, stay strong, and don’t forget about your significant other! Running for office is a team effort!