MONTPELIER – The race for the governor's office is not the only campaign to get started early this election cycle. The campaign to replace Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz – one of the Democrats running for the state's top job – is also already under way.

Two candidates, Democrat Charles Merriman and Republican Chris Roy, already have said they are running for Secretary of State; both have begun raising money.

The possibility of other candidates for what may be a rare open seat in the next election remains, as well.

Merriman, who lives in Middlesex and practices law in Montpelier, has raised a little more than $6,500 so far – about $3,400 of which is from his immediate family or himself.

Roy, who lives in Williston and practices law in Burlington, has raised a little more than $2,200, about $1,500 of which is his own or from his family.

Neither candidate has raised a lot of money, but it is unusual for a campaign for governor to have begun this early in the election cycle, much less for a "down-ticket" race such as secretary of state.

Eric Davis, a Middlebury College political scientist, said like all candidates, both Merriman and Roy would like to gain their party's respective nominations without a primary contest despite their relative newcomer status to statewide politics, Davis said.

"It's getting going so early because it is going to be an open race," Davis said. "I think what they would like to do is wrap up support among activists and donors and people who matter in the parties so neither of them has a primary."

An early race is not a bad thing for a down-ticket contest, Merriman said. In fact, it will be essential if he is to get out and meet the people statewide – especially local municipal officials, who will be most directly affected by the job the next secretary of state does, he said.

"What's a little different this time is that the secretary of state position is an open position," Roy said about why the campaign was already off and running. In addition, "you have people new to the process and new to running for statewide office."

Both Roy and Merriman said while they each are aligned with political parties as a practical necessity, the office of secretary of state is one of the nonpartisan jobs in state government.

"Most of the functions that the secretary of state's office handles are not partisan in nature. That is one of the things that is attractive about it to me," Roy said.

The office oversees a variety of tasks, including licensing of professionals, storing archives and handling campaign finance.

Roy said he wants to make the office work better for the citizens and businesses that use it.

"That is the part of the office that is of interest to me, and will be the focus of my campaign going forward," he said.

Merriman agreed about the apolitical nature of the job and its role implementing the laws put in place by policy-making office holders.

"I align with the principles of the Democratic Party, I am a Democrat," he said. "If I am elected … I would shed any partisan interest in that office, and I would hope Chris would do the same."

The names of several other potential candidates for the job have been mentioned, including former state Sen. Jim Condos and Chris Winters, who is director of the office of professional regulation for Markowitz.

Condos, who was in the state Senate for eight years and sat on the South Burlington City Council for nearly two decades, said he has been asked by a number of people to run for secretary of state, and he is considering it.

Winters said he is concentrating on doing his current job with fewer staff members, and on implementing a new electronic licensing system.

"The election is still well over a year away," Winters said. "There are a lot of things that could possibly happen in that time, but right now I have a job to do. I am focused on my work here."

No matter which candidate wins the election in fall 2010, a challenge lies ahead, Davis said.

"Whoever will be secretary of state will have an interesting job," he said.

That's because, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision, it is not entirely clear the state has any campaign finance law on the books, Davis said. That is unlikely to change before the election – legislators and Gov. James Douglas are very unlikely to put a new law in place during an election year when candidates already are running hard.

"Vermont still has no campaign finance law on the books that everyone agrees is the law," Davis said.

While the secretary of state does not make policy, the office likely will advise lawmakers on any campaign finance changes and, of course, implement the new statute if one is passed.

There are three parts of campaign finance – spending limits, donation limits and disclosure, Davis said. Spending limits have pretty much been entirely outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The state's new donation limits were thrown out, although under an untested theory of legal "revival" candidates and parties have, so far, abided by the pre-1997 limits. Finally, on disclosure, Vermont lags behind, Davis said. For instance, candidates filed campaign finance documents in July, but won't have to again until weeks before next year's primary, Davis said.

"That was a vestige of when you had campaigns lasting four or six months," he said. "Vermont is a bit behind other states in the requirements around disclosure."

louis.porter@rutlandherald.com