Letters senior Jeff Peters stands in front of Kaufman Hall before his Latin class Tuesday. Peters is one of several students at OU who participate actively in political campaigns and currently has a job with the State Republican Party working for Todd Lamb during his run for lieutenant governor. Tyler Metcalfe/The Daily

Jeff Peters’ introduction to political work would have sent many looking for a different kind of high-school job.

“I went door-to-door in a pretty rough neighborhood in Oklahoma City,” Peters said of his involvement in Kirk Humphries’ 2004 United States Senate campaign. “It was pretty intimidating, to go up to people’s doors, and just out of the blue want to talk to them about a candidate... But, overall, it’s kind of one of those things, once you do it a few times, you kind of get used to the abuse and its not that bad.”

Despite tough campaigns in rough neighborhoods, Peters still feels his work is important.

“The reason I’m involved in politics is because I genuinely feel like it’s the most consequential work,” he said. “These are the people who are crafting legislation that effects our day-to-day lives. The reason I’m involved is because I want to play a part in that.”

Peters’ work in politics has come a long way in just a short amount of time, moving from doorknocker to an internship with Mick Cornett’s 2006 congressional campaign, then on to Rudy Giuliani’s campaign for president in 2007. After Giuliani dropped out, Peters went from working for free to earning a paycheck when he accepted a full-time position with the Oklahoma State Republican Party. He did all this while working toward a bachelor’s degree in letters, which he will complete this summer.

“I think, anytime I’ve gone to fund-raisers or anything like that, I’m without fail the youngest person in the room,” Peters said. “At first, I thought that would be kind of a handicap, being so young, but I really do think it’s been an advantage because I think that the fact that I’ve done all of this, while being a full-time student.”

Peters’ youth is more that just a recruiting poster advantage, however. He’s been instrumental in moving the state Republicans to increase their presence on the Internet and throughout social media.

“I think that’s something,” he said. “Kind of an element that I bring to the table [is] that people who are older, even people who are maybe in their 30s that are just enough removed where they don’t quite grasp how you can integrate Facebook, Twitter, [or] your Web site and use that as an effective messaging tool.”

Effective enough for Pat Highland, campaign manager for Randy Brogdon’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign, to suggest students use those sources as a first step into political involvement.

“I think that what they can do, first of all, [they can] contact their friends and family members on e-mail, Twitter, their Facebook and explore the issues,” Highland said.

Even though the 2010 primaries in Oklahoma are more than a year away, several statewide races are already beginning to take shape. Four candidates have already declared their intentions to run for Oklahoma governor.

“I would say it’s absolutely the best time [to get involved],” said Don Hoover, the campaign media consultant for Jari Askins’ 2010 gubernatorial campaign. “I think one of the things for students to know is the earlier their involvement, the better.”

Outside of social media, all four of the gubernatorial campaigns are seeking campaign volunteers.

“Campaigns always need people to knock doors, hand out palm cards, to attend events and sort of serve as representatives of the campaign,” said Emily Lang, communications director for Drew Edmondson’s gubernatorial campaign.

As elections draw closer, paid positions are not out of the question for students.

“Generally, students begin in a volunteer and or internship role,” Hoover said. “Many then evolve as the months go by, when the campaign really gets into high gear in the final several months, they evolve into paid positions.”

Peters’ work went from door-knocking to a paid position running a county campaign office and helping to organize a statewide Republican convention.

“Almost without exception, everybody that I know in politics started out just as a volunteer or an intern,” Peters said. “It really is one of those things where, if you can show to the higher-up people that you’re a hard worker and that you’ll do it for free for a while, it really kind of builds.”

After helping guide state Republicans through the 2008 election cycle and the 2009 state convention, Peters recently accepted a position to work for a GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, one he declined to name because the candidate has not officially announced his candidacy.

“Going forward, I want more direct campaign experience,” Peters said. “Because, the party is great, I’ve enjoyed it, but I want to work on a competitive statewide race. I think I would professionally grow a lot more and get a lot more out of something like that.”

Peters said his experiences will hopefully lead him to run for office.

“When I first got interested in politics, that’s why I was interested... I envisioned myself as being a candidate,” he said. “As I’ve worked kind of behind the scenes, that’s kind of quelled a little bit. I don’t have a strong passion to run. But I do definitely think its a possibility. Who knows what will happen later in life?”