Political campaigns go way back to the Roman Empire (this via NYT story about Pompeii):

In another room — which contained the lararium, or household shrine — excavation earlier this year uncovered a series of political inscriptions, the ancient equivalent of today’s electoral manifestoes and posters. The inscriptions invite people to vote for Aulus Rustius Verus, a candidate for the position of aedile, an elected official during the Roman Republic.