By Cara Spilsbury
Staff Writer
June 26, 2008 09:41 am On Nov. 6, 2007, Mayor James Fiorentini won back his seat in City Hall and began his third consecutive two-year term. Just seven months later, he already faces competition. On Tuesday, June 24, former City Councilor John Michitson announced his intention to run for mayor in 2009. Election Day doesn't come for another 17 months. According to Haverhill City Clerk Margaret Toomey, papers for nominations won't even be available until next year. Beginning a campaign early in the race is a trend locally as well as nationally, said Frank Novak, a Haverhill Realtor and political observer. His show on Haverhill Community Television, "Point of Reference," covers local politics, among other issues. "It tests their level of support and their possibilities for fund-raising," said Novak of a candidate's motivation to throw his or her hat in the ring as soon as possible. The earlier a candidate enters a political race, the longer he has to raise the money that has become increasingly necessary to wage a successful campaign in today's political world. Last year, Fiorentini spent $108,456 on his re-election efforts, a record amount for a Haverhill mayoral candidate. But Novak said beginning a campaign early also increases a less tangible but equally important measure of support — the confidence of voters, the everyday people in the community. "It costs not only money, but shoe leather" to run for office, he said, implying that the soles of a candidate's shoes should give way because of all the door-to-door campaigning they do. "They need to raise money, but they also need to make contact with the people." Indeed, Michitson has told local media that his early entry to the race gives him time to raise money, meet potential voters, and get the word out about what a Michitson administration would mean to the city. It's a technique that transcends the local elections in Haverhill and communities just like it. Even in the current race for the White House, presidential hopefuls have been drumming up support and sending out exploratory committees almost immediately after President Bush was re-elected in 2004. Their efforts, successes and failures have been heavily chronicled and dissected by the media since. The Republican and Democratic parties won't even officially nominate a candidate until their national conventions, held in the first week of September and the last week of August, respectively. Like presidential candidates, those looking to secure an elected position on the local level face the challenge of timing the perfect attack. According to Novak, starting too early and starting too late both could have negative consequences. "If you join the race too late, you may find yourself playing catch-up," he said. "But if you enter too early and you don't pace yourself, you could peak too early as far as your level of substance." Fiorentini said Tuesday that he hasn't decided whether to seek re-election to a fourth term. Political observers say it's likely he will run again. The mayor's Web site, on which he distributes his regular newsletter, carries a link for supporters to donate to his campaign. As a challenger to an incumbent seeking re-election, however, Novak said that it may be better to risk erring on the side of too early. "When the challenge comes this early, if the challenge is a real threat, the incumbent won't be able to ignore it for long," he said. "It seems with every election, it starts earlier and earlier," Novak said. "It's almost like seeing Christmas decorations out before Halloween hits."
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