No regrets in loss for Antioch mayoral candidate

He lost the election, but Erik Peters said he feels like a winner.

An obvious long-shot, the 18-year-old Antioch High School senior failed in his attempt to beat long time Antioch politician Larry Hanson for mayor in Tuesday's election. Incumbent trustee Bob Caulfield also failed to best Hanson.

Peters has no regrets and said he did achieve something.

"My goal was accomplished," he said. "I'm convinced we wouldn't have seen as many people come out to vote if I hadn't run. It's great to see people get involved."

A latecomer to the campaign, Peters decided to run as a write-in candidate after becoming disillusioned with what he saw as divisiveness among board members.

He didn't win, but said campaigning was a great learning experience and he's stronger because of it.

"I just love the idea of representing people," he said. "It's a good feeling when people trust you to do that."

He had a bit more than his 15 minutes of fame. Peters made two television appearances and created some excitement at Antioch High School where he was the lead item on the school's Web site.

He also received an endorsement from current mayor Dorothy Larson. Peters said that was an honor. "I was taken seriously by people who understand the issues. That's a good feeling."

He's not sure how many hours he devoted to the effort, but put on a full-court-press this last week. "I'm sure it was close to five hours a day," he said.

And his campaign budget was minuscule. "I think I spent about $10 on campaign buttons. I made them by hand with the help of my aunt and my cousin," Peters said.

He plans to major in political science at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Later, he hopes to earn a law degree with an eye toward a career in national politics.

"My dream, and it's only a dream at this point, is to eventually run for Congress or the Senate," he said. "And my biggest dream would be to run for president some day. I think I'm headed in the right direction."