Other examples of ascended Some Dudes?

[Doimper]

Randy Bryce, previously a Some Dude, received so much money and media attention running against Paul Ryan that by the time Ryan announced his retirement, Bryce was basically the presumptive nominee and thus discouraged more mainstream politicians from running in the now-competitive WI-01. Are there any other examples of this sort of thing happening? (in other words, a Some Dude making such a name for him/herself in a race previously thought to be uncompetitive that by the time the race does become competitive, they've sucked all the oxygen out of the room)

[Mike Thick]

This is pretty much how Blake Farenthold became a Congressman

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

This is pretty much how Blake Farenthold became a Congressman

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Joe Walsh and Allen West are other good 2010 examples.

[mvd10]

Jan Peter Balkenende becoming PM in 2002. 'Some dude' became the most powerful man of our country .

Two prominent CDA (Christian Democratic) stars really hated each other and in they end they made peace and decided that neither of them would run in the 2002 elections because the CDA was going to lose anyway. The sacrificial lamb was going to become some provincial officeholder or a first term MP who looked like Harry Potter. Harry Potter become the candidate. Sh**t went wrong and Harry Potter (JP Balkenende) became PM.

As of this day there still isn't anyone who understands the mystery of Jan Peter Balkenende (and how the f**k he managed to stay on for 8 years). Maybe he fooled us all and he secretly was a huge political genius.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Tim Walz

[Antonio the Sixth]

Jan Peter Balkenende becoming PM in 2002. 'Some dude' became the most powerful man of our country .

Two prominent CDA (Christian Democratic) stars really hated each other and in they end they made peace and decided that neither of them would run in the 2002 elections because the CDA was going to lose anyway. The sacrificial lamb was going to become some provincial officeholder or a first term MP who looked like Harry Potter. Harry Potter become the candidate. Sh**t went wrong and Harry Potter (JP Balkenende) became PM.

As of this day there still isn't anyone who understands the mystery of Jan Peter Balkenende (and how the f**k he managed to stay on for 8 years). Maybe he fooled us all and he secretly was a huge political genius.

If we're bringing up international examples, I don't think anyone can beat Giuseppe Conte.

[mvd10]

Jan Peter Balkenende becoming PM in 2002. 'Some dude' became the most powerful man of our country .

Two prominent CDA (Christian Democratic) stars really hated each other and in they end they made peace and decided that neither of them would run in the 2002 elections because the CDA was going to lose anyway. The sacrificial lamb was going to become some provincial officeholder or a first term MP who looked like Harry Potter. Harry Potter become the candidate. Sh**t went wrong and Harry Potter (JP Balkenende) became PM.

As of this day there still isn't anyone who understands the mystery of Jan Peter Balkenende (and how the f**k he managed to stay on for 8 years). Maybe he fooled us all and he secretly was a huge political genius.

If we're bringing up international examples, I don't think anyone can beat Giuseppe Conte.

Hilariously enough Balkenende immediately relegated to 'some dude' status after he left as PM. He become partner at EY (they have about 200 partners in the Netherlands, so he isn't even that high in their hierarchy) and probably is frequently mistaken as small-town mayor. Isn't Conte basically Salvini's fukboi though? Chances are Salvini literally looked for 'some dude' so that he could pull the strings .

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

William Jennings Bryan was elected in the freak landslide of 1890, and though he had a personal relationship with the chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Chairman he was only on the ballot as a placeholder iirc. Within the next decade he would quickly ascend to become the most popular Democrats in the country who redefined what the party vwoulf stand for.

In the massive Orange Crush (the NDP surge in the 2011 Canadian election, especially in Quebec where  they were once moribund), several university students who were never expected to even be competitive, some of which didn't even campaign, were elected. One candidate, Ruth Ellen Brosseau, was a single mother who was in Last Vegas during the count; and only spoke English despite standing bin a Francophone riding (she speaks French now, and is actually very popular in her riding, even as most of the other random students lost their jobs).

[Antonio the Sixth]

Jan Peter Balkenende becoming PM in 2002. 'Some dude' became the most powerful man of our country .

Two prominent CDA (Christian Democratic) stars really hated each other and in they end they made peace and decided that neither of them would run in the 2002 elections because the CDA was going to lose anyway. The sacrificial lamb was going to become some provincial officeholder or a first term MP who looked like Harry Potter. Harry Potter become the candidate. Sh**t went wrong and Harry Potter (JP Balkenende) became PM.

As of this day there still isn't anyone who understands the mystery of Jan Peter Balkenende (and how the f**k he managed to stay on for 8 years). Maybe he fooled us all and he secretly was a huge political genius.

If we're bringing up international examples, I don't think anyone can beat Giuseppe Conte.

Hilariously enough Balkenende immediately relegated to 'some dude' status after he left as PM. He become partner at EY (they have about 200 partners in the Netherlands, so he isn't even that high in their hierarchy) and probably is frequently mistaken as small-town mayor. Isn't Conte basically Salvini's fukboi though? Chances are Salvini literally looked for 'some dude' so that he could pull the strings .

I mean, Conte was actually closer to M5S politically, and I think did some (minor) policy advising for them during the campaign, so in theory he's almost as much Di Maio's fukboi as Salvini's (of course, Di Maio wanted himself to be PM and the only reason Conte is where he is right now is because Salvini vetoed that, but still).

[SATW]

Jan Peter Balkenende becoming PM in 2002. 'Some dude' became the most powerful man of our country .

Two prominent CDA (Christian Democratic) stars really hated each other and in they end they made peace and decided that neither of them would run in the 2002 elections because the CDA was going to lose anyway. The sacrificial lamb was going to become some provincial officeholder or a first term MP who looked like Harry Potter. Harry Potter become the candidate. Sh**t went wrong and Harry Potter (JP Balkenende) became PM.

As of this day there still isn't anyone who understands the mystery of Jan Peter Balkenende (and how the f**k he managed to stay on for 8 years). Maybe he fooled us all and he secretly was a huge political genius.

HA! He does look like Harry Potter!

[Brittain33]

Carole Shea-Porter was a shocker, wasn't she?

[wesmoorenerd]

Nobody beats Paul Wellstone in this department (RIP)

[#gravelgang #lessiglad]

Nobody beats Paul Wellstone in this department (RIP)

Wellstone was active in DFL politics going back decades before his upset win over Boschwitz. Nobody thought he'd win and the party viewed him as an oddball at the time, but he didn't just emerge from nowhere the way Bryce has in OP's example.

Joe Biden kind of fits the bill of an ascended some dude when he was first elected in Delaware. Random city council member to US Senator in three years at the age of 30.

[136or142]

Since it's not certain that Randy Bryce will win, the obvious case here in 2018 has to be Greg McAuley who was the only Republican standing when Ryan Costello retired.