By Patrick McGroarty
News Editor

With the State House effectively shuttered for August vacations and gubernatorial candidates making news only in fits and starts, political reporters are prone to feeling lackadaisical during this slow month in the news cycle. The campaign trail is just as quiet in Dorchester: Two of the neighborhood's three state representatives are running for re-election unopposed (Linda Dorcena Forry and Martin Walsh) and no number of controversies associated with Marie St. Fleur seems likely to transform one of her opponents into a serious challenger.

Those with growling political appetites must look beyond familiar races to clerkships and county positions for their trail mix fix. Desk-bound incumbents often dominate these slow-paced contests and campaigning on a platform that goes beyond a pledge to do the job and do it well can be a tough sell.

One such race, that for Suffolk County Registrar of Deeds, picked up a little steam in the last month after two local Democratic Committees, wards 13 and 16, endorsed underdog challenger Mike Mackan over the incumbent, Mickey Roache.

"I heard the Ward 13 Committee was having a meeting and headed down in the hot and steamy weather after a baseball practice, in my shorts and a t-shirt," said Mackan. "I told the committee I'd like their endorsement, and on the second vote, I got it."

Rep. Walsh, chair of the Ward 13 Committee and a Mickey Roache supporter, said he was frustrated that the committee chose to vote on an endorsement without Roache being present.

"This committee wasn't going to do an endorsement, and Mickey didn't get a chance to present himself," said Walsh. "But no one has a bad thing to say about Mike, he's a very good guy."

Mackan, a Lower Mills resident who works in the legal division of the city's Department of Inspectional Services, ran against Roache for the same office in 2002 with results that might have discouraged another candidate. He lost every precinct in the county, with the exception of his home turf of 17-13, the Lower Mills library.

Four years later, he's at it again, facing an opponent with all the name recognition he had last time (Roache was Boston's police commissioner under Mayor Ray Flynn and a ticket-topping city councilor for much of the 1990s) and four years experience behind the desk in question.

In that time, Roache said his leadership has brought a great deal of progress at the Registry. A backlog of paperwork and documents has been moved to cyberspace, and he developed an out-of-state electronic back-up system to guard against the loss of vital records in the event of an accident or attack on the Suffolk County office.

"What we've done in three and a half years has really turned this place around," said Roache.

Mackan, meanwhile, says the primary responsibility of the Registrar is managerial and cites his years of experience working first at the Lil' Peach and then with the city of Boston, as well as his 20 years coaching Cedar Grove baseball teams.

"I would go into the job with a little energy, a little vigor," said Mackan. "I'm not a previously elected official. I think I would enjoy the job, and that it wouldn't be burden."

Mackan has only good things to say about his opponent, and vice versa. Two men noted for their long careers in public service and admired for their dogged commitment to community functions and the civic process, Mackan and Roache describe each other on uncannily similar terms: Roache described Mackan as a, "likable guy," who, "puts a lot of time into the community," and Mackan spoke of Roache at the Ward 16 Committee meeting as a "good man."

Both Mackan and Roache were present at that meeting, where Mackan secured the two-thirds majority needed to claim the endorsement after three votes.

"Here I am in my opponent's backyard, and I just told the committee you have difficult decision here. I'm running against a good man, and I hope you have the courage to take that leap of faith and endorse me," said Mackan.

Roache, who lives in Ward 16, said that missing the nomination in his home ward has not shaken his confidence or diverted his campaign strategy.

"I was knocking on doors in Dorchester last weekend out of respect for my home base. As a result, we'll probably get some signs up," said Roache. "I'm so focused on my own situation that I'm not thinking too much about any challenger, and am just pleasantly surprised at the positive feedback we've been getting."

In a race this quiet, the prevailing strategy seems to be nonchalance. Mackan said he eschews door knocking, refuses to accept donations, and couldn't name one person working closely enough with his campaign to be considered at "aide."

"It's something I've done quietly this time on purpose. I don't want a lot of people out here. I don't want to fall into those traps."

Roache, too, says he's relying on meeting the people face to face, in the places they live and work.

"In the summer it's easy to get around the city, and I'd encourage anybody running for office just to go to Dunkin' Donuts and meet people-not just stick something in their face. This is a low profile race for a low profile office."