Who knows, I mean Garfield managed to get elected as a House member...
It was before such things as primaries. Garfield been chosen as a compromise candidate during a deadlocked convention.
If we're looking for a more recent historical of a longshot candidate starting his campaign very early, it would be Carter. But it wasn't
that early and, for all "Jimmy Who?" jokes Carter was far more prominent than Delaney.
My guess is he wants out of politics, but instead of just retiring, he wants to go with a bang.