ABSTRACT
Running for office could have been emotionally and physically draining, but it was not. It was a very rewarding, exhilarating experience, and not just because I won. Two thoughts kept going through my mind during the year I was running. First, I had nothing to lose by becoming a candidate. Second, I began my campaign in earnest more than one year before the election and before anyone else in my race. If I lost, it wouldn’t have been because I didn’t try my best or didn’t have enough time to do a thorough job.
