anyone know when a candidate must announce they are running? i tried searching for this but couldn't find the answer. thanks
This might be a trick question. Before we disclose the answer,are you planning on running for president? If so, be sure you carefully consider some candidates questions. 1 Have you ever had a bad experience with butane? 2 What was your favorite childhood farm animal and why? 3 Are NBC's sitcoms must-see TV for you? 4 Are you familiar with the works of Ron Jeremy? 5 Are you gettin' giggy with it? 6 Can you do the Humpty Dance? 7 Are you down with OPP? 8 What KISS song best describes you? 9 Do you too feel the people's pain and does it hurt? 10 Which cartoon character best expresses your personality: Droopy, Ren, or Stimpy? 11 Would you ever consider keeping a ball python or a Nile Monitor lizard for a White House pet? 12 What is the average air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? 13 How would you classify your political message: dull, boring, or non-original? 14 How would you explain your tax proposal to a homeless person? 15 Would you ever consider hiring a mime as Press Secretary? 16 Did you ever have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky? 17 When will I ever get my money back from the tax cut? 18 Would you ever consider a song by Johnny Paycheck for your official campaign song? (For the clueless, Take This Job and Shove It.) 19 Polka-dots or stripes? Bunny or Mickey Mouse slippers? 20 Have you ever walked your dog in public?
It's a State by State issue. IOW's there's no "national" date. Major party candidates selected at their national conventions are exempt from petition gathering. To run in a primary though you must file before certain dates in certain states.
Lucky you, I have found your question interesting. So in the State of MA in 2004, the presidential primary was in March 2, 2004, but the filing deadline was Jan. 2nd, 2004 http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/presprimcal04.pdf Now I am not sure and too lazy to check other states, but I would say somewhere around 2008 early january...