Chris Herbert, the Democratic candidate for mayor of Manchester, is a long shot for election. So, understandably, he needs all the attention he can get. Even so, he might pick his issues more carefully.

In an Oct. 11 post on the Facebook page for his mayoral campaign, Herbert complained about the city letting kids trick-or-treat on Halloween night.

“Youngsters will be tired from school, it will be dark and quite possibly cold, and more parents can accompany their children on Sunday. It’s an irritation, in other words, for a lot of parents. And per usual the Mayor neglected to find out whether or not his idea worked for everyone,” he wrote.

An irritation to hold Halloween on Halloween? Is this guy serious?

Manchester held trick-or-treating hours on the Sunday before Halloween for nearly 30 years because aldermen fell for 1970s urban legends about the dangers of being out on Halloween night. Herbert adds another urban legend: the mayor sets trick-or-treating hours. Really, the police chief does. And he correctly determined that being out on Halloween night is safe after all. Good for him, and Manchester. Boo for Herbert.