Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich brought his message for peace Wednesday afternoon to Lawrence.

About 30 participants joined in a march downtown. Most of the marchers were local, but a few were part of a Maine-to-California peace trek the walkers said was “inspired” by Kucinich, who has opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq and promised to establish a Department of Peace if elected.

“We need to recognize the potential of nonviolent solutions to our problems,” said 21-year-old Jonathan Meier of Ames, Iowa, who started walking Oct. 17 in Portland, Maine.

Lawrence resident Richard Heckler, who played host to a potluck for the marchers later Wednesday, said Kucinich, an Ohio congressman, was his No. 1 candidate for president.

“I am a great believer in peace, and we’re a long way from it,” Heckler said. “I like to hear candidates who talk about it and have a platform for it.”

Joey Sprague, a Kansas University professor, said other Democratic candidates were “Bush Lite” who couldn’t beat Republican President George W. Bush.

“I’m afraid of what’s happening to this country,” she said. “The peace movement gave me hope we can take back our government.”

But Kucinich — who also favors universal health care, promotion of renewable energy sources, withdrawal from the North America Free Trade Agreement treaty and repeal of the Patriot Act — sits near the bottom of most polls. Still, his backers in Lawrence refused to concede defeat Wednesday.

Steps for Peace activist Tak Schmitz, 14, from Lexington, Ky., carries a flag down the sidewalk on Massachusetts Street during a rally. Schmitz, whose father took him out of school in order to join the national walk for peace campaign, joined a small gathering of Lawrence peace advocates Wednesday for the walk from 23rd to Ninth streets.

“Why do we think he doesn’t have a chance? Because the media doesn’t take him seriously,” Sprague said. “If the media covered the issues instead of the horse race, he’d have a chance.”

Heckler agreed.

“I think it’s too early to tell who we’re going to be voting for,” he said.

Heckler added: “I don’t think marching for peace — whether it’s for Kucinich or anybody — is ever a waste of time.”

But a Lawrence supporter of Howard Dean, the leading Democrat in the race, said the march was more for partisan purposes.

6News video: Supporters for presidential candidate Kucinich march through Lawrence Steps for Peace Kucinich enters ’04 race (10-14-03)

“It was a Kucinich thing,” said Lauren Sullivan, who meets with other Dean backers the first Wednesday of every month. “I didn’t even get an e-mail about it, which is odd, because I’m on the Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice mailing list.”

Kansas Democrats will stage presidential caucuses in each of the state’s 40 Senate districts on March 13 to select delegates to the Democratic National Convention.