alumni_races

This collection of Python scripts finds out if the alumni in a csv are currently running for office or working on a candidate race.

Files

(1) Alumni lists should not be committed to this repository, but should be .csvs files formatted with columns:

• Constituent ID
• First name
• Last name
• Email number
• Preferred City
• Preferred State
• Event Name

(2) A keys file holds API credentials

(3) After creating a database (alumni_races), run the following scripts in this order:

• configure_db.py
• load_csv_data.py
• get_candidates.py
• match_alumni.py

Data sources

get_candidates.py draws on the Google Search API, the Google Civic Information API, and matches to CSVs exported from Raiser's Edge

Output

get_candidates.py outputs a csv that contains:

• Constituent IDs and all other original information for alumni. The constituent ID allows easy matching back into RE.
• A field indicating "Yes" is the alumnus is running for office in 2016
• A field indicating "Yes" if the alumnus is working on a candidate race in 2016
• The race on which the alumnus is running/working