Candidates will give editorial boards a lot of info that they might not give you, not the least of which are home and car telephone numbers. The like to use those endorsements in their advertising. If any community groups or do- gooder organizations in your town send out their own questionnaires, collect those, too. This may reveal responsibilities of the office that you didn't even know, which may show you how the office holder is able to wield influence in ways you hadn't realized. May government treasurers, for instance, automatically serve on public pension boards, where they can a lot of favors with very little attention.
Politicians always recycle old charges.
If the candidate like to pal around with shady characters, the public ought to know. This can open a lot of doors. Get a hold of the organization's IRS 990s or any other charitable fundraising report required by your state. If the group receives federal grants, look for audits. Most importantly, check all branches of government to see if they are getting any public business, If it's possible in you county, run a computer check of every case in which the lawyer or his firm filed an appearance.