This Chattanooga councilman is already fundraising for his 2017 re-election

Chattanooga City Council member Ken Smith

Chattanooga City Councilman Ken Smith is getting started early.

Smith is up for re-election with the rest of the City Council in March 2017, but he’s having his first fundraising event this month.

State House Majority Leader Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, and Chattanooga businessman Henry Luken are hosting the first fundraising event of the election cycle on March 26 on Smith’s behalf.

Despite the election being two years away, Smith said Thursday he was raising money to keep his council seat. Although, he said he’d not reject “new opportunity that presents itself.”

“I believe in raising when you can, not when you have to,” Smith said.