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Political commentator John Podhoretz once said, “Every great political campaign rewrites the rules; devising a new way to win is what gives campaigns a comparative advantage against their foes.”

Podhoretz is correct that every great political campaign always creates a narrative to win voters. However, most successful campaigns also have a core of dedicated volunteers, willing to work tirelessly to get their candidates elected and touch every voter why they are part of a cause to win their vote.

This year, I had the experience of volunteering in not one, but two political campaigns. I never thought that I would have gotten as involved in the political process during my senior year of high school. Before, I was just a know-it-all political pundit who liked to criticize political ads and debate gaffs at any adult gathering. However, this election cycle changed my perspective, as I now find myself as the listener to praise and criticism of the candidates whom I supported. I found this experience to be truly invaluable and realized the difference I contributed not only to the campaigns, but also to the democratic process.

Since the start of 2014, I was on the campaign committee to re-elect state Rep. Gene Ward in Hawaii Kai. I go a long way back with Representative Ward since sign waving when I was in middle school and interning in his office for the past two legislative sessions. For me, it was no big deal when Representative Ward asked me to be part of his campaign team since he did not face an opponent for two consecutive times. I thought 2014 would be no different where my only contribution required was to do the traditional mahalo sign wave after Election Day.

However, that all changed when I learned Representative Ward would have a challenger back in April. When I asked Representative about facing an opponent for the first time in six years, I was surprised by his response. “It’s good to have a challenger every election cycle, and it keeps me engaged in the community.”

Although I initially did not understand why any politician would enjoy having an opponent, I later realized that contested races contributed to the democratic process. It gave voters a choice on their leaders and forced the candidates to not just be a name on the ballot. Especially for incumbents who would be out in the community meeting with constituents instead of waiting for them to make initial contact.

I thought being actively involved in one campaign would be enough and would become tiring. However, my campaign life took another path after attending a candidate forum where I met Tommy Waters, who was running for City Council. I was impressed by Tommy Waters’s responses at the forum and his resume of experiences as a former public defender and legislator. Although, I was also impressed by another candidate who was running for the same City Council seat, only Tommy Waters prevailed during the primary election.

After a couple email exchanges, I came out to sign wave with Tommy Waters one afternoon, eager to support him and to gain a different perspective by volunteering on another political campaign. Immediately, my prior campaign experience became noticeable, “You are a natural at sign waving,” yelled Tommy Waters over honking cars.

Throughout the campaign season, I experienced every aspect of a political campaign. Campaign activities included sign waving early in the morning and late in the afternoon, canvassing the neighborhood on weekends, taking photos to post on social media, giving ideas for mailers and copy editing campaign literature. I enjoyed doing every task without any second thoughts of how I could be spending my time playing video games and sleeping instead of campaigning.

Although both campaigns were different in regards to issues and campaign strategies, I realized the one thing both campaigns had in common was dedicated supporters. The unwavering commitment by these supporters drove the campaigns to finish line. Whether it was calling one of Representative Ward’s advisors to report the campaign’s progress or emailing one of Tommy Water’s media experts late at night drafting email memos for supporters, working with these supporters inspired me to continue. Every supporter I met in both campaigns had an interesting background to share. From an office manager working in a city department, to a self-employed landscaper, every supporter’s background made me realize that anyone can get involved and support any candidate with the same enthusiasm.

The campaigning season all came to an end on Nov. 4 which culminated hours of hard work. Ultimately, Representative Ward was re-elected to another term with 7,533 votes, the most votes received by any candidate running for State House. However, Tommy Waters fell short by just 47 votes which echoed the notion that every vote counts.

Although my campaign record now stands at 1-1, I am proud to have contributed in a cause which was heard by voters throughout East Honolulu and share the same enthusiasm with many campaign supporters. My efforts to get up early and spend less time playing video games paid off as it was a lifetime experience that is unforgettable. I made a difference that I could live up to and grow from instead of watching from the sidelines to wait for the votes to get counted.