# Early is all alone in quest to be DA



## Nachtwächter (Dec 9, 2005)

Mar 21, 2006

*Early is all alone in quest to be DA*

Democrat lawyer would replace Conte

* By Shaun Sutner TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
[email protected]
*

* 
WORCESTER- * Nothing in politics is certain, but Democrat Joseph D. Early Jr. is close to a sure bet to succeed longtime District Attorney John J. Conte in next fall's election, according to political observers.

When the dust had settled in January after Mr. Conte's surprise decision not to run for re-election, Mr. Early was the last candidate standing after a series of prominent Democrats opted against facing Mr. Early - who has been campaigning for the job since December 2004 - in September's primary.

With no Republican in the race and with only two months left before the May 2 deadline for filing nomination papers, the local lawyer and son of former U.S. Rep. Joseph D. Early is for all intents and purposes unopposed for the job of Central Massachusetts' top law enforcement official.  

"He had the guts to be out there first," said Brian J. Buckley, a Worcester lawyer who challenged Mr. Conte in 1996 and is now running for Governor's Council. "There's a certain amount of respect that goes along with being willing to take on an incumbent."

For his part, Mr. Early, who has raised more than $140,000 and had about $85,000 in his campaign fund as of last month, says he is running as if he does have competition.

Of course he could still get some, though the prospect becomes more unlikely each day as a challenger has less and less time to raise the cash to mount a credible campaign. Write-in or "sticker" candidates would also have a tough time getting the countywide name recognition that Mr. Early is already well on his way toward building.

"I'm running like I have an opponent," Mr. Early said. "We're treating it as if we had one. We're staying focused."

Even without someone to run against, the Early effort has all the trappings of a real political campaign.

Mr. Early has a Web site, campaign manager and headquarters, and he is maintaining a steady schedule of fundraisers, meet-and-greets and media appearances. Bumper stickers are about to go out.

While he says it is too soon to talk about what an Early district attorney's office would look like, Mr. Early says he is sticking to the same strategy he followed when he and others thought Mr. Conte was still in the picture.

"I was running for a job, not against the person," said Mr. Early, a former county and state prosecutor. "I thought I could make the community better."

Mr. Early said he would expand the district attorney's outreach to troubled youths to attempt to prevent them from turning to crime. And he said he wants to spend time in the courtroom, possibly even trying cases, which Mr. Conte has avoided over the 30 years he has been in office. He also has said he will be more available to the media, a task Mr. Conte largely shunned.

Indications abound that Mr. Early can count on having the field to himself.

The political rumor mill is silent about potential challengers.

Meanwhile, Worcester lawyer Rick Peters, a Republican who took out nomination papers to run for district attorney, recently opted to shoot for state senator instead. Another potential candidate for district attorney, former state police commander and legislator Reed V. Hillman of Sturbridge, decided to run for lieutenant governor.

Now leaders of the region's GOP, which has never been strong in countywide contests, not only realize it is late in the game but also have nice things to say about Mr. Early - a sign they are giving up hope of finding someone to go against him.

"It is now spring, and it would be difficult for a candidate, Republican or Democrat, to start a campaign," said state Rep. Karyn E. Polito, R-Shrewsbury, a lawyer. "I've known Joe Early for a long time and he's a very decent and hard-working man who knows the community and will work for the people of Worcester County."

Contact Shaun Sutner by e-mail at [email protected].


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