TPC Certification

To be certified for the TPC badge, a candidate or politician must:

• Be currently in office or running within the next 18 months.

• Have demonstrated a working knowledge of the 7 Articles of The Politician's Creed (TPC) and how to apply and defend them.

• Pass a qualifications interview and *background check to ensure alignment of values and readiness to operate with conviction to TPC. 

• Swear to uphold the Politician’s Creed, a seven-part declaration affirming their responsibility to constituents and the ethical standards of public office.

NOTE:  An endorsement by The Oath of Office is not the same as TPC certification.  Certification reflects personal character, integrity, and commitment to constituents as adjudicated by The Oath of Office.  A TPC-certified candidate is certified whether in office, campaigning, or in-between campaigns.  Whereas an Oath of Office endorsement is simply the Oath of Office Inc's selected candidate preference for a particular race.

* if you are already in office or have served in office before, a review of your voting record is part of our background check.

Earning your TPC Certification provides the following:

• A credible, voter-facing signal of integrity and accountability. Your certification becomes a public commitment to measurable standards that most opponents cannot match.
  
  

• A clear narrative advantage. The Creed gives you a compelling, ready-made explanation of why you’re running, what you stand for, and how you expect to govern—making it easier for supporters, influencers, and donors to champion your campaign.

• In addition, your certification also unlocks the following:

  • 1. A licensed, registered version of the Politician's Creed badge (see below) that is unique to you and identifies you as a candidate/politician who puts their constituents first.

    2. Campaign Kit:  Organizing framework and tools, ready to use and customize to your campaign.

    3. The ability to work with experienced and trained campaign managers* who can help you navigate the political landscape with proven strategy, discipline, and purpose.

    4. Access to the OATH** Network, our membership infrastructure that supports outreach, relational growth, volunteer mobilization, and fundraising.
       
       

*  Campaign managers working with The Oath of Office are part of a growing network of experienced campaign advisors trained to support and advance candidates who are sworn to and abide by the Politician's Creed.  Campaign managers working through The Oath of Office with endorsed candidates are expected to provide a marketing-cost discount to the candidate from their normal billing rate. 

** Ongoing Accountability, Transparency, Honesty

TPC Certification isn't about party affiliation—it's about principled leadership.  We certify candidates across the spectrum who are willing to put their constituents first, stand firm in their convictions, and help restore the foundational trust between the governed and those who govern.

If you’re ready to lead with courage—and you're done playing by rules designed to keep conscience out of politics—we want to work with you.

Once you apply via the button below, the following process takes place:

1. Application review

2. With You - Pre-screening Call 

While we respect and appreciate the passion so many people have to run for office and represent their community, the successful candidate will demonstrate the critical thinking skills necessary to represent their community well along with the ability to clearly state what they hope to achieve once in office.

3. References 

Between one and three non-familial references of the candidate's will be contacted with regards to the candidate.

4. With You - Candidate Readiness & Assessment Call

The successful candidate at this stage will demonstrate, if not a full understanding of the rigors that lie ahead as part of their campaign, the willingness to adapt and put the tremendous amount of work in that will be necessary to pull off a good election.

5. Certification Team Review

6. With You - TPC Interview

The successful candidate will demonstrate both an alignment and a deep understanding of the 7 Articles of the Politician's Creed, both in terms of how they apply to the candidate themself as well as how they apply to the relationship between the candidate and their constituents.

7. TPC Interview Rubric Review

8. Background Check

For candidates who have gotten to this stage, the Oath Of Office will review their background including social media, news articles, prior policy voting records (if the candidate has held office before), et al.

9. Certification Team Review

10. Preliminary Award Email

Candidate is notified that they have successfully passed all of the qualifying hurdles involved in the certification.  There is one task left:  taking the oath itself.

11. With You & Your Team - Formal Oath Ceremony* 

This 10-minute ceremony is performed and recorded virtually whereby the candidate swears to abide by and be held accountable to each of the 7 Articles of The Politician's Creed separately.  Attendance by at least a few representatives of the candidate's team and/or community is required for the ceremony to occur.   

12. Certification Award Email

Candidate receives their formal notice of certification.

13. With You & Your Team - Follow-Up meeting

The Oath Of Office provides to the now-candidate their trademarked, serialized TPC Badge license and reviews various ways the Oath Of Office can support the candidate going forward.  This meeting is attended by the candidate and/or relevant members of their team.  

* performed online with Oath of Office officials, members of the public, and your team.

After the dust has settled..

If you make it through the entire certification process, you will now be certified under The Politician's Creed.  You will receive your own certification and your awarded badge will reflect your certification number.   The video in which you take the Oath of The Politician's Creed will be published to The Politician's Creed channel on YouTube and you will be added to the national register of TPC-certified candidates and politicians.  Certification is not tied to any office, but to your character of the candidate as evidenced by your background, references, relationship with your constituents, and actions in office.   Congratulations!

The Oath Of Office, acting on behalf of The Politician's Creed, reserves the right to revoke certification should circumstances warrant it.

Q:  If I lose my election, do I lose my certification?

A:  No, your certification is about you and your relationship to the constituents of the district and is independent of whether you win or lose any particular election.

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Q:  How long does certification last?

A:  Barring any exceptional circumstance requiring revocation, your TPC certification is ongoing pending intermittent recertification processes that may involve the constituents themselves.  This is managed either via the OATH Network or by polling constituents (when a politician is not supported by an OATH Network).

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Q:  Will The Oath Of Office certify more than one candidate for a particular office?

A:  Certification has nothing to do with the race for an office.  To restrict certification to only one candidate in a race is like only allowing one doctor in a hospital to take the Hippocratic Oath.

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Q:  What about endorsement -- will The Oath Of Office endorse more than one candidate for a particular office?

A:  No.  The very nature of endorsement is to say "This is the one we pick".   So when the Oath Of Office does make an endorsement, it will only endorse one candidate per race.  That being said, as of this time, our policy is to only endorse a candidate for a race if there are no other TPC certified candidates in that same race at the time of our endorsement.

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