If I campaigned, am I still popular?

Last week I was elected to a four year term on the Board of Governors of the Society of Self Fellows. A year ago, I would have considered such an election extremely unlucky: it would mean that somebody had thought I was too much of a chump to refuse four years of working for the Society and he was right. However, when I was nominated this year, I realized that I genuinely wanted the position. The young Society is still searching for an identity, but currently has a great board with real ideas; I'd like to contribute but know that I would never make it to the annual meetings (in Kansas during the school year) if I weren't actually on the Board. So I accepted the nomination, figuring it would be uncontested as in years past.
Then, to my great surprise, the ballots came out. Five nominees for one position. Three of the others candidates are friends. So I campaigned. Admittedly, this was pretty low-level campaigning (I sent an e-mail to all of the voters on my party e-mail lists , reminded them to vote and told them that I actually wanted the position.) but likely the first time anyone ever campaigned for a Board of Governors post in this society.

I won, which I feel is pretty lucky, given that most of the nominees would do a good job and most of the voting members would recognize that. But winning would have been luckier if I hadn't e-mailed my friends.
Does luck really play any less of a role when one works toward something? Are completely unforseen events really luckier?
Am I popular if I campaigned?