In my favourite episode of Suddenly Susan, the American wrestler and celebrity Hulk Hogan (then going by the name “Hollywood Hogan”) ran for against the protagonist (= Susan) for a position in the San-Francisco department, and instead of being himself and being serious about the campaign, he used cheap show-biz tricks, and presented himself as his on-stage personality. The episode ended with Susan coming to visit Mr. Hogan to congratulate him and he is presented as a serious man, well-groomed, mannered and clueful, and she concluding that the city is in good hands.
That apocryphal story materialised itself with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s running for the position of California governor, with his “girly men” campaign. Although Schwarzenegger won, a lot of bad taste was left in the mouth.
In a section from my story “The Human Hacking Field Guide” written shortly after the first campaign, I describe an alternative way of running an election campaign. In that section, the story’s Alpha Female, Eve “Erisa” Siegel, admits that winning the title of homecoming queen won’t make much of a difference to her, but that she still wants it, and instead of a smear or insult campaign, she supports and respects the other candidates. (All while using some gimmicks of humour/etc..)
Furthermore, you shouldn't give up if you lose ( see the motivational Never Give Up video.) . What I describe Principle Snyder doing in “Buffy: A Few Good Slayers” is that after he has lost the election for mayor, he offered the actual winner to be his assistant and to help him as much as he can, and he eventually become mayor in the next election .