Oh, that sucks, but thank you for sharing the story. It is a very important lesson and the type of situation you describe is very, very common in US local elections.
We get fed hopium stories about how one person can make a difference, but those simplistic stories don't usually explain how one person can make a difference. We only get to see the stories of exceptional leaders who are buoyed up by the invisible efforts of the people who made their own humble difference in their local area.
I happened to be in DC on an unrelated lobbying trip during the Bush II administration on the day they reauthorized the voting rights act in 2006. Jesse Jackson was wandering around doing photo ops as is the norm. What didn't make it on to TV was the veritable army of formidable organizers who themselves were representing their own local constituencies. Mr. Jackson's power and visibility was directly derived from the humble and tireless work of supporters, just like any other political figure.