Perennial candidate
A perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope of gaining office, but in order to promote their views or themselves instead. John C. Turmel is, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the most persistent perennial candidate, having run and lost in a total of 72 elections.
Famous perennial candidates
Argentina
- Elisa Carrió, founder and leader of the Civic Coalition and Civic Coalition ARI parties, ran for President on three occasions (2003, 2007 and 2011). After the 2007 general election Carrió had announced that she would no longer run for presidency, yet she did on the 2011 election, after which she once again announced her retirement from presidential candidacy. Her results have dramatically varied since her first election, when she came out fifth with 14.05% of the votes: she ended second on the 2007 election with 23.0% of the votes, the most voted member of the opposition to elected candidate Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who succeeded her husband Néstor Kirchner; however, four years later, Carrió resulted the least-voted candidate, placing seventh with 1.84% of the total vote.
- José Saúl Wermus a.k.a. Jorge Altamira, leader of the trotskyist Partido Obrero, has run for President five times (1989, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2011). His best performance was in 2011, with 2.31% of the votes.
Australia
- Kim Beazley, former leader of the Australian Labor Party, ran for Prime Minister four times (1998, 2001, 2004, 2007). On the last two occasions he was defeated in a leadership contest the year before the election - he was defeated by Mark Latham in a leadership battle in 2003, then defeated by future Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in a leadership battle in 2006.
Benin
Brazil
- Enéas Carneiro ran for President three times (1989, 1994, 1998). He had promised never to run for any other office, but decided to run for Mayor of São Paulo in 2000. He was not elected, but in 2002 he ran for Congressman, when he was elected with 1.4 million votes (the highest number of votes that a Brazilian Congressman ever received). He was reelected in 2006 but died the next year.
- Lula da Silva also ran for the Presidency in 1989, 1994 and 1998, achieving the second largest number of votes on each occasion. He won in 2002, and was reelected in 2006.
Canada
- Ben Kerr, a street musician, ran for Mayor of Toronto seven times between 1985 and his death in 2005. He was best known for his country music performances and for advocating the medicinal benefits of drinking a concoction that has cayenne pepper as its main ingredient.
- Naomi Rankin ran for the Communist Party of Canada in 2008, her eighth attempt at becoming an MP. She has also ran six times for the Communist Party of Alberta, also all unsuccessful.
- Harry Bradley ran for the Toronto Board of Control 24 times between 1930 and 1964. He also ran for mayor in 1960 and 1962, and for city council in 1969.
Cyprus
- Kostas Kyriacou, otherwise known as "Outopos", has been a candidate for every Presidential and Parliamentary election since 1998 but has never gained more than 1% of the vote.
Ecuador
- Álvaro Noboa, Ecuador's richest business man, has run for President four times (1998, 2002, 2006 and 2009). He was elected to the National Assembly in 2007.
France
Gambia
Ghana
India
- Hotte Paksha Rangaswamy was a political leader from the Indian state of Karnataka, who had a penchant for contesting elections. He is a Guinness World Records holder for having contested the highest number of elections - he unsuccessfully did so 86 times.
- Kaka Joginder Singh (alias Dharti Pakad meaning "one who clings to the ground", earned after several unsuccessful runs for the President of India.[2]) was a textile owner who contested and lost over 300 elections in India. Although his nomination papers were usually disregarded by the election commission, he reached his high water mark during the 1992 10th Presidential elections where he earned fourth place in the polling with 1135 votes, eventually losing to Shankar Dayal Sharma
Japan
- Mitsuo Matayoshi (alias Jesus Matayoshi), leader of the World Economic Community Party and self-proclaimed Messiah, has run in at least nine local and national elections since 1997.
Mexico
- Nicolás Zúñiga y Miranda was a Presidential candidate ten times: 1892, 1896, 1900, 1904, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1917, 1920 and 1924 and also tried to run for a seat in the Congress of Mexico at least twice. The eccentric Zúñiga never got more than a few votes, but always claimed to have been the victim of fraud and considered himself to be the legitimate president.
Mozambique
Niger
Poland
- Janusz Korwin-Mikke and Andrzej Lepper both unsuccessfully ran for President four times (1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010). The latter, however, has enjoyed a series of successful parliamentary elections.
Russia
Seychelles
- Philippe Boullé has unsuccessfully run for President four times (1993, 2001, 2006 and 2011).
Singapore
- Ooi Boon Ewe has applied three times (1999, 2005 and 2011) to run for President, all unsuccessfully. He had also tried to contest in both 2006 and 2011 general elections, in which both times he failed to get nominated.
Tanzania
United Kingdom
- Bill Boaks contested general and by-elections for a period of 30 years under various descriptions, most famously "Public Safety Democratic Monarchist White Resident". Boaks's main concern was public safety on the roads and believed that pedestrians should have the right of way at all times. In the Glasgow Hillhead by-election, 1982 he received only 5 votes, one of the lowest recorded in a modern British Parliamentary election. He died in 1986 from injuries sustained in a car accident two years earlier.
- Arthur Hunnable's name never appeared on a ballot paper, but he campaigned and announced that he would stand in almost every by-election from 1907 to 1909, and also in Jarrow at the 1918 general election.
- Lindi St Clair ran in numerous elections for her "Corrective Party", on some occasions standing as "Miss Whiplash".
United States
- Chris Bell, served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives (2003–2005). Ran unsuccessfully for Texas State Representative (1984), Mayor of Houston, Texas (2001), reelection to Congress (2004), Governor of Texas (2006), and Texas State Senate (2008).
- Ted Brown, a California Libertarian has run for state and federal office 14 times in the last 30 years never receiving more than 6% of the vote.
- Jacob Coxey best known for his 1894 March on Washington DC, Coxey ran 3 times for US Senate for Ohio, and twice as the People's Party nominee for Governor of Ohio in 1895 and 1897. Coxey also was the Mayor of Massilon, OH from 1931 to 1933 in addition to losing numerous congressional races.
- John H. Cox, a Republican talk radio host, has run for various positions in his home state of Illinois including U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, and Cook County Recorder of Deeds, the latter in an attempt to eliminate the position; which he saw as unnecessary. Cox most recently unsuccessfully ran for the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States.
- Jack Davis, founder of a heating element manufacturing company and protectionism advocate, has unsuccessfully run for the seat representing New York's 26th congressional district four times in five elections between 2004 and 2011, three times as a Democrat and the fourth as an independent. He has not ruled out future runs for office.
- Eugene V. Debs was a presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party in 1900 and thereafter for the Socialist Party in four more elections: 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920. In the 1920 election, while in federal prison for violating the Espionage Act of 1917 with a speech opposing the draft, he received 913,664 votes, the most ever for a Socialist Party presidential candidate.
- Earl Dodge, a long-time activist in the temperance movement, was the Prohibition Party's presidential candidate in six consecutive elections, from 1984 to 2004. He was also that party's vice-presidential candidate in 1976 and 1980. He ran for Governor of Colorado on five occasions (1970, 1974, 1982, 1986, and 1994) as well. He also ran for Senator of Kansas in 1966.
- Jack Fellure ran for the Republican Party nomination in every presidential election from 1988 to 2012. In the 2012 campaign, he withdrew from the Republican nomination race, and become the presidential nominee of the Prohibition Party.
- Edward Forchion, a pro-marijuana activist also known as NJWEEDMAN, has repeatedly run for statewide and local offices in New Jersey.
- Jimmy Griffin had a successful career as Mayor of Buffalo, New York from 1977 to 1993, but spent his post-mayoral career as a political gadfly: he unsuccessfully ran for Erie County executive in 1991 and 2007, President of the United States in 1996, and twice sought to win his old job as mayor of Buffalo back, in 1997 and 2002, the latter year as part of a recall petition that turned out to be illegal. He did, in his later years, win a spot on Buffalo's Common Council in 2003.
- John W. Griffin ran unsuccessfully for Ohio's 8th congressional district six times between 1976 to 1998, and losing the 1978 Congressional race in Ohio's 4th congressional district. Griffin did serve two separate terms on Ohio's elected State Board of Education.
- John Hagelin, a physicist and co-founder of the Natural Law Party, was that party's only presidential candidate in its history. Hagelin ran three times (in 1992, 1996 and 2000) before the party folded in 2004.
- Gus Hall, leader of the Communist Party USA, ran for Governor of Ohio in 1940 and for the presidency four times, from 1972 to 1984 inclusive.[3]
- Howie Hawkins, co-founder of the Green Party, has run unsuccessfully for 18 political offices and is in the process of running a nineteenth campaign.
- John Jay Hooker, a Tennessee Democrat, ran for several Tennessee offices, in later years mainly to gain standing for lawsuits against more serious candidates on the grounds of campaign finance violations.
- Merrill K. Riddick, ran for Montana governor in 1968, U.S. Congress in 1972, and was a presidential candidate in 1976, 1980, and 1984, but never won an election.
- Bob Kelleher, an attorney from Montana, ran for Congress as a Democrat in 1968 and 1976, ran as a Green candidate for the Montana State Senate in 2000, for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2006, and for Governor of Montana in 2004, and was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008.[4]
- Alan Keyes, has run for U.S. President in 1996, 2000, and 2008. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 1988, 1992, and, in 2004, against Barack Obama in Illinois.
- Lyndon LaRouche, a fringe political figure, ran for president of the United States in eight elections, beginning in 1976. He ran once as a U.S. Labor Party candidate and seven times as a Democrat. In 1992, he campaigned while in federal prison. Many of his followers have also run for office repeatedly, including Sheila Jones and Elliott Greenspan, both of whom made eight campaigns for a variety of offices.
- Andy Martin (also known as Anthony Martin-Trigona), a journalist and self-described consumer advocate has run for several local, state and federal offices dating back to at least 1977, including two runs for president and six runs for Senate. He has run as a Democrat, a Republican and as an independent.
- Eugene McCarthy, Senator from Minnesota, though successful in multiple campaigns for the U.S. Congress, was a perennial presidential candidate. He ran for the Presidency five times, in 1968, 1972, 1976, 1988, and 1992. He tried (unsuccessfully) for the Democratic Presidential nomination in three of those years (1968, 1972, and 1992), and ran as an Independent in the other two years.
- Jimmy McMillan, founder of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, has run for Mayor of New York City in 1993, 2005, and 2009, and Governor of New York in 1994, 2006, and 2010. He has announced a run for President in 2012.
- Ralph Nader, possibly the most famous perennial presidential candidate in recent U.S. history, is a consumer rights advocate, who ran for the presidency four consecutive times and was a write-in candidate in the 1992 New Hampshire primary. Nader ran twice as the nominee of the U.S. Green Party (in 1996 and 2000). In 2004 and 2008, he ran as an independent. Nader's 2.7% in the 2000 election has led to controversy as to whether he spoiled the election for Al Gore.
- Mark Neumann, a congressman from Wisconsin, ran for Congress unsuccessfully in 1992 and 1993 before winning his first election in 1994. He won again in 1996, but was defeated in 1998 when he ran for the US Senate against Russ Feingold. In 2010, Neumann ran for governor of Wisconsin, but was defeated in the Republican primary by Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. Neumann is currently running for Wisconsin's open 2012 Senate seat vacated by Herb Kohl.
- Christine O'Donnell, a Republican from Delaware, ran for United States Senate in 2006 and was defeated in the Republican primary by Jan C. Ting. In 2008, O'Donnell ran again for Senate and was defeated by incumbent Democrat Joe Biden (who simultaneously won the vice presidency). In 2010, O'Donnell ran yet again for Senate and defeated United States Representative Mike Castle in the Republican primary; she was then defeated in the general election by Democrat Chris Coons.
- Jim Oberweis, Illinois dairy magnate, unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2004, Illinois Governor in 2006, and U.S. Representative in the Illinois 14th district in 2008 in the special election to replace retiring Dennis Hastert as well as in the November election.
- Pat Paulsen, a comedian best known for his appearances on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, first ran for President in 1968 as both a joke and a protest. He ran again in 1972 and in succeeding elections until 1996, one year prior to his death.
- Mary Ruwart, a member of the Libertarian Party, Ruwart campaigned unsuccessfully for the party's presidential nomination in 1984 and 2008 and for the vice-presidential nomination in 1992.[5] Ruwart was the Libertarian Party of Texas's nominee for U.S. Senate in 2000 losing with only 1.16% of the popular vote.
- Charles W. Sanders the former Mayor of Waynesville, OH ran 4 unsuccessful campaigns for Ohio's 2nd Congressional district between 1998 and 2004.
- Joe Schriner, a journalist, ran for President as an independent in 2000, 2004, and 2008. He is running again in 2012.
- Al Sharpton ran for the United States Senate from New York in 1988, 1992, and 1994. He also ran for Mayor of New York City in 1997 and for the Democratic nomination for President in 2004.
- Harold Stassen is perhaps the most famous and distinguished perennial presidential candidate in U.S. history, along with Ralph Nader. A one-time Governor of Minnesota and former President of the University of Pennsylvania, he ran for the Republican nomination for President twelve times between 1944 and 2000. While Stassen was considered a serious candidate in 1944, 1948 and 1952, his persistent attempts were increasingly met with derision and then amusement as the decades progressed. He also ran in 10 other races for lower offices.
- Norman Thomas was the Socialist Party's candidate for President of the United States on six occasions from 1928 to 1948 inclusive. Unlike most other perennial candidates, Thomas influenced American politics to a considerable degree with many of his policies being appropriated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.
- Jeffrey C. Thomas a physician and former Janesville, Wisconsin city council member, lost 4 consecutive races for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional seat between 2000 and 2008.
- Don Wright, as president of the Alaska Federation of Natives during the early 1970s, played a major role in the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. However, Wright is far better known as a perennial candidate, having run for statewide office in Alaska 15 times since 1968. Wright has run for governor of Alaska 11 consecutive times since 1974. Wright ran 7 of those campaigns under a major party, but lost in the primary election each time. The remaining 4 times (1978, 2002, 2006 and 2010), he was the nominee of the Alaskan Independence Party.
- Phil Wyman is a Republican from California who has run for state or federal offices since 1976. Wyman served in the California State Assembly District 34 from 1978 to 1990. In 1992, Wyman moved from Tehachapi, in Kern County to the Los Angeles area to run from Congressional District 25 against Santa Clarita Mayor, Howard McKeon, Wyman lost in the primary. in 1993, Wyman moved to Lemoore, CA to run for the 16th Senate District to replace Don Rogers, beating Jim Costa. In 1994, Wyman ran for re-election, and lost to Costa. Wyman, was the only Republican incumbent west of the Mississippi to lose. In 1996, Wyman moved again to run for California's 17th Senate District, losing in the primary to Pete Knight. In 2000, Wyman ran for his old 34th Assembly District, and won. In 2002, Wyman ran for re-election and lost to Sharon Runner. In 2004, Wyman ran for California's 32nd Assembly District, against incumbent Kevin McCarthy. in 2006, Wyman ran again, for the now open 32nd Assembly District and lost to Jean Fuller. In 2010, Wyman filed papers to run for the 16th Senate District again. Wyman has run in 17 different elections for 7 different seats over the past 34 years. He has only held 3 of the seven seats, holding the 34th Assembly District seat for 14 years (7 elections), and has lost 6 of his last 8 elections, 5 of them primary loses.
Zambia
References