Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office (such as the President of the United States) that is running for reelection. For example, George W. Bush is the incumbent president of the United States of America.
In some jurisdictions and situations, incumbents have structural advantages over challengers. The timing of elections may be determined by the incumbent instead of on a set schedule. For less signficant political offices (e.g. school trustee or other municipal positions) the incumbent is often the only candidate with name recognition. Incumbents also have easier access to campaign finance.
In American politics, incumbents have traditionally won their party's nomination to run for office (regarding the office of the president). Congressional incumbents almost always win, barring long-term shifts in their district (a Democratic incumbent in historically conservative Texas would have a less likely chance of winning than a Democratic incumbent in liberal New York City, because Texas has shifted away from the Democratic party in terms of voting).
In the British (Westminster) system, an Incumbent Member of Parliament is the person who current represents the constituency in Parliament.
Referenced By
Japan general election, 2003
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