Perennial candidate

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Mike The Mover has run for various offices under various political affiliations on 17 occasions to promote his furniture moving business. Mike the Mover RV.jpg
Mike The Mover has run for various offices under various political affiliations on 17 occasions to promote his furniture moving business.

A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for elected office and rarely, if ever, wins. [1] Perennial candidates are most common where there is no limit on the number of times that a person can run for office and little cost to register as a candidate. [2]

Contents

Definition

A number of modern articles related to electoral politics or elections have identified those who have run for elected office and lost two to three times, and then decide to mount a campaign again as perennial candidates. [3] [4] [5] However, some articles have listed a number of notable exceptions. [2] [6]

Some who have had their campaign applications rejected by their country's electoral authority multiple times have also been labelled as perennial candidates. [7]

Reason for running

It has been noted that some perennial candidates take part in an election with the aim of winning, [3] [8] and some do have ideas to convey on the campaign trail, regardless of their chance for winning. [2] [9] Others have names similar to known candidates, and hope that the confusion will lead to success.

Some perennial candidates may mount a run as a way to help strengthen their party's standing in a parliamentary body, in an effort to become kingmaker in the event of a political stalemate. [10]

Some perennial candidates have been accused of running for office continuously as a way to get public election funding. [11] Some have also been accused of being backed by the government of their country, in an effort to make the government appear more rational in comparison. [12]

Americas

Argentina

Brazil

Due to the complex and intricate political system in Brazil concerning political parties, there are more than 30 political parties. In this scenario, it is very useful to have hopeless candidates who can make a good number of votes and increase the overall votes count of a party (or coalition). As a consequence, there are thousands of small perennial candidates for local elections around the country, whose sole purpose is helping others get elected, then ask for a job in the elected government cabinet.[ original research? ]

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Ecuador

Mexico

Paraguay

Peru

United States

Africa

Benin

Gambia

Ghana

Kenya

Mozambique

Nigeria

Atiku Abubakar ran for president in 1993, 2007, 2015, 2019 and 2023.

Senegal

Seychelles

Tanzania

Zambia

Asia

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Iran

Israel

Japan

Philippines

Singapore

Taiwan

Turkey

Europe

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Finland

France

Germany

Helmut Palmer's house in Geradstetten boasted some of his German election percentages. 2006-12-18GeradstettenPalmerhaus02.jpg
Helmut Palmer's house in Geradstetten boasted some of his German election percentages.

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Romania

Russia

Slovakia

United Kingdom

Oceania

Australia

New Zealand

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References

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