Perhaps one of the more puzzling aspects of the recent endorsements of New London Mayor Daryl Finizio by a few local unions is that they occurred so early.

After all, the race is young. We just had our first real snowfall of the winter. Fall is forever from now. There is plenty of time for new candidates to emerge, get into the race and engage voters.

Unions picking a candidate now are selling their members and voters short. Makes you wonder why they wouldn't wait.

For those of us with more patience, this is a time to prepare for a wider field of candidates to develop.

Remember the crowded debate stage for the city's return a few years ago to the tradition of electing a mayor? I'd like to see that kind of vibrant debate again, an appealing, wide spectrum of choice for voters.

I know of a few city residents who would make the choice much more interesting. I would encourage them to jump in. Come on. The water looks fine.

One excellent potential candidate I've encouraged before is Chris Soto, founder and director of The Higher Edge, a nonprofit dedicated to helping city high school students attend and prosper in college. What a great agenda.

Soto is Latino and a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, where he served as the school's assistant director of diversity after graduating. He has a master's degree in public affairs from Brown University and is an adjunct faculty member at Connecticut College.

What a great choice for voters to consider, especially as New London prepares to welcome the Coast Guard as an even more integral part of its urban psyche. Who better to lead the city than someone trained in leadership by the Coast Guard, at one of the best schools in the county, right here in New London.

Soto expressed an interest in the past in running for a seat for the City Council but hasn't yet taken any mayoral bait. I would encourage anyone who knows him to give him a little shove toward this year's race.

Thinking diversity, another logical candidate comes to mind.

How about it, state Rep. Ernest Hewett? You know the city and its residents well. You have a proven track record of bringing home the bacon from Hartford, a spigot you would be especially qualified to help keep open. There are other municipal chief executives serving in Hartford. Maybe you could do both, too.

You could be the city's first full-time black mayor. It would be a lot harder for Mayor Finizio to run for re-election using racially charged and nasty phrases like "the good old boys" he suggests he is running against.

For that matter, you could be a candidate running on accomplishments - not as an outsider, as the incumbent seems to want to do.

It also would be encouraging to see more women run.

How about it, Linda Mariani? You are a New London native with long tendrils in city history and politics. You've agreed to take on development at Fort Trumbull. How about the whole city? Surely someone at your successful law firm could hold down the fort there for you for a few years.

Penny Parsekian? You ran New London Main Street back when city officialdom still seemed to care about downtown and its merchants and providing a welcoming environment. Your exemplary work recently in putting a spark in planning for a Thames River Heritage Park is a gold star on your resume.

William Satti? You ran for state Senate. How about mayor of your hometown?

Anthony Silvestri? You developed an anchor for one end of the downtown, with your Harbour Towers. Now you are working your way through a rehabilitation of the surrounding neighborhood, house by house. How about taking on development of the entire city?

I know there are many others. Let's all give it some thought and encourage them to get in, to create a much wider field of candidates.

Let's not let a few unions narrow the race down to two incumbent Democrats who seem to hate each other. What a miserable race that would be.

New London can do a lot better than that.

This is the opinion of David Collins

d.collins@theday.com

Twitter: @DavidCollinsct