Recently I was asked, “Why do we only have one announced candidate for mayor of Federal Way?”

First of all, there are several other “possible” candidates for mayor. Depending on who you ask and what day of the week it is, there’s between three and eight potential candidates for the city’s top job this fall. Seven are current elected officials, one isn’t.

Secondly, it’s not as easy of a question to answer as you might think. All the potential candidates are going through the same process of evaluating the pros and cons of getting into the race. It’s a time of personal and professional reflection for each person. This is a major life and career decision.

On the personal level, candidates need to consider the impact on themselves and their family. If they are current office holders, their spouse and children already have an idea about the time commitment and emotional roller coaster. But running for mayor will increase the personal pressure far beyond what most of the potential candidates have ever experienced. What will the impact be on children, family and friends who hear the political attacks or rumors or misrepresentations of public records that have unfortunately become part of many campaigns?

And the time away from one’s family or job? Running for mayor will be an almost full-time endeavor. In addition to being away from your job, assuming that’s even possible financially, there’s the cost of the campaign. Most people I’ve talked to suggest it will cost $75,000 to $100,000 to mount a credible campaign. How come so much? There’s the cost of signs, two to three mailings, advertising and some type of paid campaign staff to make sure all the pieces work together and on schedule.

Running for mayor is different than running for any other political job. It is the job closest to the people and one they take personally, so it requires a different look at the community’s politics. There also is the task of building a campaign platform and theme to answer the question, “Why should people vote for you?” Candidates have to look in the mirror and ask themselves the soul searching question, “Why do I want to run?” If the honest answer is ego or political stepping stone or big salary or power, then they probably shouldn’t run. But if the answer is vision, community good or qualifications, then they should seriously consider it. Only the candidates can answer that question, although their opponents might try and suggest a different answer for them. Many suggest the race for mayor may not be an altogether pleasant experience. I was elected mayor three times and the one where I was unopposed was by far the most fun, although it wasn’t the most stimulating. The job itself is a challenge. If you have never been responsible for hundreds of employees and millions of dollars, it should be a little daunting to you.

Competitive races do bring out the best for the community in debates, exchanges of ideas and, quite frankly, in the candidates because they have to go through exactly what each one is going through right now. Self and community reflection, and how each potential candidate answers their inner conscience, will determine how many actually run. I think it will be less than the eight being talked about now. More likely, it will be three to five, but it’s still early.