‘Home Town’ star Ben Napier once nurtured political ambitions but wife Erin wasn’t too thrilled

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ben and Erin Napier, who gained fame through HGTV, opened up about pivotal moments in their lives on CBS News’ 'Sunday Morning'.

Among various topics discussed, one that particularly stood out was Ben’s past political aspirations. Ben had revealed his dream of a political career but as wife Erin had objections, those ambitions got dashed.

Had Ben’s political career been more successful, things might have turned out differently for him and his family. But Erin is not complaining and is thrilled with how everything has unfolded.

Ben Napier talks about his political dreams

Ben and Erin Napier, stars of HGTV’s 'Home Town', live and restore homes in the small town of Laurel, Mississippi. The HGTV hit has also inspired several spinoffs, including 'Home Town Takeover' and 'Home Town Kickstart'. 

Before Ben co-starred with his wife on 'Home Town', he had ambitious dreams of holding a leadership role in his hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, per Nicki Swift.

During the interview with CBS News' 'Sunday Morning', Ben humorously noted that if his political goals had succeeded and he had been elected to the city council in 2013, he would have been too absorbed in the role to consider anything else. 

When asked if he might pursue politics again in the future, Ben firmly said "no" —a sentiment Erin was more than happy to support.

"You better never run for office again," she laughed, her eyes widening at the thought. She later repeated her plea, chuckling, "I can’t take it."

Erin Napier supported Ben Napier’s political ambitions despite limited interest

Erin may not have been thrilled about Ben's political ambitions, but she did support him. Erin shared with 'Sunday Morning' that in 2013 when Ben ran for the local city council, she was the designer behind Ben’s campaign materials.

However, not everything went as planned. Both Ben and Erin had a laugh about the missteps. 

For instance, Erin mentioned that since Ben was running as an independent candidate just a month before the Fourth of July, they chose the slogan 'Independent's Day', which didn’t resonate. "It sort of went over everybody’s heads," Ben remarked, while Erin giggled.

"Nobody got it!" she laughed.

There were other mishaps as well. Ben explained that Erin created large banners to be displayed on buildings, but many people misunderstood their purpose. "Everybody thought that I was a musician ... everybody was like, 'Oh yeah, you're going to be playing a show on June 4th, aren't you?' Like, 'No, I'm running for office," he said.

Given the confusion surrounding the slogans and banners, it’s understandable why Erin didn’t find the experience enjoyable. Nonetheless, she admitted to feeling very proud of Ben for giving it a try.

Ben and Erin Napier achieved their goals on a larger scale than local politics

Erin and Ben Napier revealed that they considered moving away from Laurel right after college. However, once they decided to stay, they were dedicated to enhancing their hometown.

A 2013 blog post on the couple’s website, Laurel Mercantile Co, showcased Ben’s focus on making the city a place where young people would want to stay.

“As a youth minister, I understand that if you lose your young people, you lose your future. If we wait for someone else to pick up the reigns and be a cheerleader for this city then we will fall into decline,” his statement read.

Although Ben did not succeed in his city council campaign, he and Erin have achieved their goal on a much larger scale than local politics would have allowed.

As Ben shared on 'Sunday Morning', “Through this, we've been able to accomplish so much more, not just in Laurel, but across America.”