Member-only story
A Feel-Good Election Story
From trucker to U.S. Senator — with some alcohol on the way
I’ve been a candidate for office exactly one time.
It was a local office, one where there would be just about 3000 total voters.
Despite the hyper-local nature of the race, it was all-consuming.
My daughter was 4 at the time. And I missed an entire summer with her. When I wasn’t working, I was campaigning.
Door-to-door to shake as many hands and talk with as many voters as possible.
I had maps and names and voting histories. I had literature and signs. I had a few volunteers. But, in these local races, voters want to meet the actual candidate.
The process was grueling. And wildly rewarding. I met many of neighbors, heard their concerns, got a glimpse into their lives.
Even without being elected, I was able to help address and solve some problems.
It was also terrible in ways. People are mean.
Oh, and in the end, I lost. By just a handful of votes.
All of this happened before I took the steps that would lead me to trouble with alcohol.
I’m not sure I’ll ever run for any sort of office again. Still, I remain interested and engaged in politics.
So, I was fascinated by a story I read about a trucker who became his state’s Governor and then a U.S. Senator.
Oh, and Sen. Hughes also struggled with an alcohol addiction.
This line from the story struck me:
In 1964, during a heated gubernatorial debate, Governor Hughes’ opponent took the low road and tried to use the governor’s past struggle with alcohol against him. Instead of deflecting or minimizing, Hughes responded with stunning clarity: “I am an alcoholic and will be until the day I die… But with God’s help, I’ll never touch a drop of alcohol again.”
