A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for an elected office and rarely, if ever, wins. Perennial candidates can vary widely in nature. Some are major political figures, some of whom ultimately win a significant election after many tries. Some are independents who lack the support of the major political parties in an area or are members of alternative parties (such as third parties in the United States). Others may be mainstream candidates who can consistently win a party's nomination, but because their district is gerrymandered or a natural safe seat for another party, the candidate likewise never gets elected (thus these types are often paper candidates). Many are minor candidates who lose repeatedly; often the term is used for these figures, especially those