Is it election season, already?

Earlier this month some stories had their Halloweenrelated wares out while a couple of aisles over some Christmas-related items were stocked on the shelves.

Everything just seems to be starting earlier and earlier — even politics.

The next major election is months away.

Heck, you can’t even officially file to be a candidate for the June 2018 primary until mid-december.

But candidates for local and state offices are already making it know they intend to run.

Back in May a local business person announced their intention to run for the Tulare County Board of Supervisors.

Not long after, another potential candidate for the same seat went public with their intentions to run for the office.

Rumors about both were circulating for months prior to their announcements.

By election day, these campaigns will have been going in an unofficial-official capacity for more than a year. On Monday, The Recorder received its first official endorsement for a candidate that, like we said earlier, hasn’t even officially filed yet.

We understand the reasons behind doing this. It’s all about building their name and building momentum.

They can get their name out there, secure funding and get a feel for the landscape. And they can potentially scare off any would-be candidates.

We imagine some people who have not made their intentions known could be thinking they are already late to the game and decide not to run. It is way to early for this. A lot can happen between now and December and June.