ON RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL: Octavious Scott
ON RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL: Octavious Scott
"I attended ribbon-cutting ceremonies, board meetings, festivals, and charitable events. I took the opportunity to speak to anyone and everyone, including representatives of the media."
Note: Our interview with 4th District Council member Octovious Scott is the third in a series of articles, “Running for Council,” demystifying the process of running for City Council. Council seats in districts 1 and 2 are up for election in November 2024 with nomination papers due in mid-August. We updated our "How to" on running for Council in May 2024 and ran an interview with current Mayor Steven Bilderain on how to run for Council in April 2022.
Councilmember Octavious Scott is the newest and youngest member of the Twentynine Palms City Council. He ran against Mayor Karmolette O’Gilve and won by just eight votes, becoming the first candidate to unseat an incumbent Councilmember since she was elected in 2018. Born and raised in Palm Springs, Scott entered the Navy after high school. After leaving the service he relocated to San Francisco, where he worked for nonprofit organizations as a program manager and earned a Master’s degree in Leadership. Scott relocated to Twentynine Palms in 2019. He is up for reelection in 2026.
Cindy Bernard: Why did you decide to run for City Council?
Councilmember Scott: I ran for City Council to bring a fresh perspective to the City Council. I believed my experience working in the nonprofit sector was unique to the current City Council at the time.
In 2022, you were a first-time Council candidate and relatively new to the City. What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge was being seen as an outsider, but in reality I never saw myself as an outsider. I was born and raised less than 50 miles from Twentynine Palms, and I had visited the Morongo Basin several times. I was able to connect with long-term residents as well as newcomers to the desert. That put me at an advantage.
What was the most successful component of your campaign?
The most successful component of my campaign was showing up to events. Showing up to events gave me a platform to speak to potential voters about who I am and what I stand for. I attended ribbon-cutting ceremonies, board meetings, festivals, and charitable events. I took the opportunity to speak to anyone and everyone including representatives of the media.
A distinguishing feature of your campaign was the intentional use of design and branding. Can you talk about the role graphic design played in your campaign?
My campaign utilized various forms of marketing including a website, social media, mailers, flyers, and yard signs. It was important to me that all of our marketing was consistent in design and messaging. We utilized blue and gold in our marketing material primarily because it’s the Navy’s colors as well as the colors of the Libertarian Party. These colors were meant to represent who I am as a Navy veteran and my libertarian philosophy. I only purchased 30 signs and 20 of them were placed on lawns that were on my street. This was done to show community support. Our city is in districts and it’s important to gain the support of your immediate neighbors first.
What would you do differently if you were campaigning in 2024?
I would definitely start knocking on doors sooner to introduce myself to potential voters. I did some door knocking early on while attempting to receive the nomination to be on the ballot. In California, you have to receive 20 signatures of registered voters in your district to receive a nomination. I also knocked on doors towards the end of the campaign but I found out that many had already submitted mail ballots by the time I knocked on their door. This was a missed opportunity in my opinion.
Any tips for residents thinking of running for City Council?
Don’t take time for granted. Campaigns are quick and require a lot of time.
Editors note: We changed a line in the opening paragraph to read, “He ran against Mayor Karmolette O’Gilve and won by just eight votes, becoming the first candidate to unseat an incumbent Councilmember since she was elected in 2018.”
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