Perennial candidates that eventually won

[JMT]

Who are some perennial candidates that eventually won election to office? I thought of a few, but I’m curious if there are more examples:

• Danny Tarkanian: Won 2020 Douglas County Commission race after losing 6 previous elections.
• Mike Causey: Won 2016 North Carolina Insurance Commissioner race after losing 6 previous elections.
• Art Robinson: Won 2020 Oregon State Senate race after losing 5 previous elections.
• Mariannette Miller-Meeks: Won 2018 Iowa State Senate race after losing 3 previous elections.
• Jim Oberweis: Won 2012 Illinois State Senate race after losing 5 previous elections.

[emailking]

Well I'd count Biden given the prominence, but not as many attempts as the others and big gaps

[Mr. Reactionary]

Reagan

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

I thought this thread was about perennial plants. I am now disappointed.

[Ferguson97]

Well I'd count Biden given the prominence, but not as many attempts as the others and big gaps

He ran in three primaries over 32 years, and they were spaced out by 12-20 years. I don't really think that qualifies as perennial.

[emailking]

I guess but I'd still count it. Felt like he was always running.

[JMT]

Well I'd count Biden given the prominence, but not as many attempts as the others and big gaps

He ran in three primaries over 32 years, and they were spaced out by 12-20 years. I don't really think that qualifies as perennial.

Also, Biden won his first County Council race in 1970, and his U.S. Senate race in 1972 and remained in office all the way through his tenure as VP. While he lost a few presidential elections in that time, he always remained in office.

[Mister Mets]

The most successful might be Bernie.

Part of the typical definition of perennial candidates is that they do really poorly at some point. He got under five percent in multiple elections for statewide office before he was elected Mayor of Burlington.

Another one is Joe Hogsett, the mayor of Indianapolis. He was elected Secretary of State in 1990, and would then lost a Senate race in 1992, a House race in 1994 and the race for Attorney General in 2004.

After serving as US Attorney in the Obama administration, he would be elected mayor with more than 60 percent in 2015, and reelected with higher numbers four years later.

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

Handel, Tankarian, and of course, the og, Stassen

[Zenobiyl]

Handel, Tankarian, and of course, the og, Stassen

Stassen won before becoming a perennial, not after

[Pouring Rain and Blairing Music]

Handel, Tankarian, and of course, the og, Stassen

Stassen won before becoming a perennial, not after

Yeah, I’m thinking that Beto might be in the same category (assuming he loses in November). Any others like that?

[Santander]

Handel, Tankarian, and of course, the og, Stassen

Stassen won before becoming a perennial, not after

Yeah, I’m thinking that Beto might be in the same category (assuming he loses in November). Any others like that?

Charlie Crist and Dino Rossi, in slightly different ways.

[Arizona Iced Tea]

He hasn't won yet, but it's very possible for John James after this year.

[Schiff for Senate]

Stassen

Great one, I can't believe no one until you thought of it. Yeah he ran for president like 7 times or something.

[Vosem]

Evan Mecham was elected Governor of Arizona on his sixth bid for statewide office. He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for U.S. Senate (1962), then lost two primaries for the Republican nomination for Governor of Arizona (1964, 1974), then got nominated but lost the general election (1978), then lost the primary again (1982), and then finally got elected (1986).

Then, a little over a year into his term, he was impeached. He lost another primary for the Republican nomination (1990), left the party in a huff and ran as an independent for U.S. Senate (1992), and then left elected politics, though in his later years he became a supporter of the Constitution Party.

[Morning in Atlas]

Mike Cryans won his Executive Council seat in 2020 after losing 4 times in 5 years (!!!).

He would then lose in 2020.

[Continential]

Surprised nobody mentioned Mike Schaefer. He was a San Diego City Councilor and then he ran for 33 offices and won the California State Board of Equalization in a upset in 2018.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Does Donald Trump count with his four abortive runs (starting back the 80s after it was suggested by his KGB handler) before he finally entered the primaries and won three decades later?

[JMT]

Bumping this thread:

Today, Annette Taddeo announced she’s running for Miami-Dade County Clerk. She has run for office, mostly unsuccessfully, many times:

-2008: Ran unsuccessfully for Congress
-2010: Ran unsuccessfully for Miami-Dade County Commission
-2014: Ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor
-2016: Ran unsuccessfully for Congress
-2017: Won election to State Senate
-2018: Won reelection to State Senate
-2022: Ran for Governor, dropped out, then ran unsuccessfully for Congress
-2023: Ran unsuccessfully for State Party Chair
-2024: now running for Miami-Dade County Clerk (results TBD)

[Mr. Matt]

Surprised nobody mentioned Mike Schaefer. He was a San Diego City Councilor and then he ran for 33 offices and won the California State Board of Equalization in a upset in 2018.

With Schaefer, his residence where he ran went as follows: San Diego, CA -> Las Vegas, NV -> San Diego, CA -> Baltimore, MD -> San Diego, CA -> Los Angeles, CA -> San Diego, CA -> Las Vegas, NV -> San Francisco, CA -> Los Angeles, CA -> Las Vegas, NV -> Arizona -> Las Vegas, NV -> Baltimore, MD -> Las Vegas, NV -> Los Angeles, CA -> Palm Springs, CA -> Las Vegas, NV -> Los Angeles, CA -> San Diego, CA.

[Mr. Smith]

Eugene McCarthy

[The Arizonan]

Surprised nobody mentioned Mike Schaefer. He was a San Diego City Councilor and then he ran for 33 offices and won the California State Board of Equalization in a upset in 2018.

With Schaefer, his residence where he ran went as follows: San Diego, CA -> Las Vegas, NV -> San Diego, CA -> Baltimore, MD -> San Diego, CA -> Los Angeles, CA -> San Diego, CA -> Las Vegas, NV -> San Francisco, CA -> Los Angeles, CA -> Las Vegas, NV -> Arizona -> Las Vegas, NV -> Baltimore, MD -> Las Vegas, NV -> Los Angeles, CA -> Palm Springs, CA -> Las Vegas, NV -> Los Angeles, CA -> San Diego, CA.

Holy s**t.

[All Along The Watchtower]

George H. W. Bush lost Texas as a candidate for Senate (1964 and 1970) and President (1980 Republican primaries) before finally winning it as a presidential candidate in the primaries as well as the general in both 1988 and 1992.

[Vice President Christian Man]

Not a perennial candidate but Henry McMaster lost three separate elections; one for senate, lieutenant governor & the GOP primary for governor by landslides before eventually becoming governor of South Carolina (although he was elected AG before then). He also beat "Olawkandi" for lieutenant governor in 2014.

[emailking]

Well I'd count Biden given the prominence, but not as many attempts as the others and big gaps

2 years later this finally got some rex lol.