Parachute Candidate
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A parachute candidate, or carpetbagger in the United States, is a pejorative term for an election
candidate A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: * to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs. * t ...
who does not live in the area they are running to represent and has little connection to it. The allegation is thus that a desperate political party lacking reliable talent local to the district or region is "parachuting" the candidate in for the job or that the party (or the candidate themselves) wishes to give a candidate an easier election than would happen in their home area. The term also carries the implication that the candidacy has been imposed without regard to the existing local hierarchy.


Australia


Australian Labor Party

Due to its factions (
Labor Left The Labor Left, also known as the Progressive Left or Socialist Left, is political faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It competes with the more economically liberal Labor Right faction. The Labor Left operates autonomously in each s ...
,
Labor Right The Labor Right, also known as Modern Labor, is a political faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) at the national level that is characterised by being more economically conservative and, in some cases, more socially conservative. The Labor ...
, and Independent Labor),
Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
often has arrangements in place for preselections, which would often result in parachuting candidates. * In 2004, musician and activist
Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. As a performer he is known for his sign ...
was preselected as the Australian Labor Party's candidate for the safe seat of Kingsford Smith at the federal election that year due to the intervention of leader
Mark Latham Mark William Latham (born 28 February 1961) is an Australian politician and media commentator, currently serving as a member in the New South Wales Legislative Council. He previously served as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and ...
, despite opposition from the local ALP branch, who labelled him an outsider. The
CFMEU The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU, though most commonly still referred to as CFMEU) is Australia's main trade union in construction, forestry, maritime, mining, energy, textile, clothing and footwear producti ...
issued a statement criticising his selection as "a pathetic version of political celebrity squares". Regardless, Garrett was elected to the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
. * In 2007, journalist
Maxine McKew Maxine Margaret McKew (born 22 July 1953) is a former Australian Labor politician and journalist; she was the Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in the First Rudd Ministry and the F ...
was preselected as Labor candidate in the forthcoming federal election for
Bennelong Woollarawarre Bennelong ( 1764 – 3 January 1813), also spelt Baneelon, was a senior man of the Eora, an Aboriginal Australian people of the Port Jackson area, at the time of the first British settlement in Australia in 1788. Bennelong serv ...
, represented by then-
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...
. McKew did not live in the electorate then, and sold her home in
Mosman Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governm ...
to move before the election. She went on to defeat Howard, becoming the first candidate to unseat a sitting prime minister in an election since
1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
, when
Jack Holloway Edward James "Jack" Holloway (12 April 1875 – 3 December 1967) was an Australian politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1929 to 1951, representing the Labor Party. He served as a government minister under James Scullin, ...
defeated
Stanley Bruce Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, (15 April 1883 – 25 August 1967) was an Australian politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Australia from 1923 to 1929, as leader of the Nationalist Party. Born ...
at
Flinders Flinders may refer to: Places Antarctica * Flinders Peak, near the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula Australia New South Wales * Flinders County, New South Wales * Shellharbour Junction railway station, Shellharbour * Flinders, New South Wa ...
. * In 2013, athlete
Nova Peris Nova Maree Peris (born 25 February 1971) is an Aboriginal Australian athlete and former politician. As part of the Australian women's field hockey (Hockeyroos) team at the 1996 Olympic Games, she was the first Aboriginal Australian to win an ...
was preselected as Labor's leading candidate for the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
in the
Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
. Peris was born and raised in the Northern Territory, but her selection was received with controversy due to her celebrity status and the personal intervention of leader and Prime Minister
Julia Gillard Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the 27th prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013, holding office as leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). She is the first and only ...
, who described the selection as a "captain's pick". * In 2013, Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
asked
Jason Yat-Sen Li Jason Yat-Sen Li (Chinese: 李逸仙; born 1972) is an Australian businessman and politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly at the 2022 Strathfield state by-elect ...
to run as the
Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
candidate for the seat of Bennelong at the 2013 federal election even though he did not live in the electorate. He lost the election. *
Jane Garrett Jane Furneaux Garrett (16 March 1973 – 2 July 2022) was an Australian politician. She was the Labor Party member for Brunswick in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 2010 until 2018, when she transferred to the Victorian Legislative Cou ...
, a former minister in the First Andrews Ministry in
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
, was parachuted into the number one position in the
Eastern Victoria Region Eastern Victoria Region is one of the eight electoral regions of Victoria, Australia, which elects five members to the Victorian Legislative Council (also referred to as the upper house) by proportional representation. The region was created in 2 ...
at the
2018 Victorian state election Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short ...
, a seat that future MP
Daniel Mulino Daniel Mulino (born 6 November 1969) is an Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Victorian Legislative Council, representing the Eastern Victoria Region from 2014 to 2018. In the 2019 federal election he was elected as the inaugur ...
vacated to run for the Division of Fraser in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
's western suburbs. Garrett had been the MP for the
electoral district of Brunswick The electoral district of Brunswick is an electorate of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It covers an area of in inner northern Melbourne, and includes the suburbs of Brunswick, Brunswick East, Carlton North, Fitzroy North, Princes Hill an ...
, which was becoming increasingly
marginal Marginal may refer to: * ''Marginal'' (album), the third album of the Belgian rock band Dead Man Ray, released in 2001 * ''Marginal'' (manga) * '' El Marginal'', Argentine TV series * Marginal seat or marginal constituency or marginal, in polit ...
, and was criticised for her role in a dispute between the
Country Fire Authority The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is a volunteer fire service responsible for fire suppression, rescues, and response to other accidents and hazards across most of the state Victoria, Australia. CFA comprises over 1,200 brigades organised in 21 ...
, the United Firefighters Union, and the state government in her capacity as Minister for Emergency Services. * Daniel Mulino is the current MP for the Division of Fraser in Melbourne's western suburbs. Mulino had previously been a member of the
Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Co ...
for the Eastern Victoria Region, a seat he vacated for Jane Garrett. Before his tenure in the
Parliament of Victoria The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria that follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system. It consists of the King, represented by the Governor of Victoria, the Legislative Assembly and ...
, Mulino was a councillor and mayor for the
City of Casey The City of Casey is a local government area in Victoria, Australia in the outer south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Casey is Victoria's most populous municipality, with a June 2018 population of 340,419. It has an area of . The city is named ...
. Mulino lived in the electorate of Fraser in the
2019 Australian federal election The 2019 Australian federal election was held on Saturday 18 May 2019 to elect members of the 46th Parliament of Australia. The election had been called following the dissolution of the 45th Parliament as elected at the 2016 double dissolut ...
, in which he was elected. * Former
Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature. ...
Kristina Keneally Kristina Marie Kerscher Keneally (born 19 December 1968) is an American-born Australian politician who was a Labor Senator for New South Wales from February 2018 until April 2022, when she resigned to unsuccessfully contest the House of Represe ...
was preselected as Labor candidate for the
2017 Bennelong by-election A by-election for the House of Representatives (Australia), Australian House of Representatives seat of Division of Bennelong, Bennelong was held on 16 December 2017. Previous incumbent and Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal candidate John Ale ...
. She lived 800 metres outside the electorate, which, combined with her high profile, attracted accusations of parachuting. * Keneally sought preselection for the House of Representatives again in 2021, this time for the electorate of Fowler in western
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
despite living in the city's affluent northern suburbs. She was also criticised for making the move despite retiring member
Chris Hayes Christopher Loffredo Hayes (; born February 28, 1979) is an American political commentator, television news anchor, activist, and author. Hayes hosts ''All In with Chris Hayes'', a weekday news and opinion television show on MSNBC. Hayes also ...
having already endorsed local
Vietnamese Australian }) are Australians of Vietnamese ancestry. Vietnamese Australians are one of the largest groups within the global Vietnamese diaspora. At the 2021 census, 334,781 people stated that they had Vietnamese ancestry (whether alone or in combination wi ...
lawyer Tu Le as his successor in a working-class, migrant-rich neighbourhood. With heavy publicity drawn toward what is normally one of the safest seats in Australian politics, Keneally suffered a massive swing against the previous result and lost the seat for Labor for the only time in its 13-election existence, with parts of the area being held as far back as 1934 when it was part of
Werriwa The Division of Werriwa is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The name Werriwa derives from a local Aboriginal name for Lake George, which was located in the division when it was established in 1900. The division ...
. This resulted in a former Liberal Party member who turned independent, Vietnamese Australian and former refugee
Dai Le Dai Trang Le (Vietnamese: Lê Trang Đài) (born ) is an Australian politician currently serving as the federal member for Fowler, deputy mayor of Fairfield and councillor for Fairfield/Cabravale Ward. Le arrived in Australia in 1979 as a re ...
, being elected. *
Andrew Charlton Andrew Charlton (born 1979) is an Australian politician and economist who has been Member of Parliament for the division of Parramatta since 2022. Charlton has been described as a "centrist, evidence-based, data-driven economist with entrepre ...
, a former adviser to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, was criticised for being parachuted into the
Division of Parramatta The Division of Parramatta is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 65 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for the locality o ...
to succeed retiring MP
Julie Owens Julie Ann Owens (born 17 October 1958) is an Australian former politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives for Parramatta from 2004 to 2022 , when she retired from politics. Early life Owens was born on 17 Octob ...
at the
2022 Australian federal election The 2022 Australian federal election was held on Saturday 21 May 2022 to elect members of the 47th Parliament of Australia. The incumbent Liberal/National Coalition government, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, sought to win a fourth conse ...
over local candidates who were from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Before the electoral campaign, Charlton resided in Sydney's eastern suburbs in Bellevue Hill in a property worth over $A16 million and only purchased a property in the electorate once preselected. *
Mathew Hilakari Mathew Hilakari is an Australian politician who is the current member for the district of Point Cook in the Victorian Legislative Assembly The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Au ...
, Labor's candidate for the newly established electorate of
Point Cook Point Cook is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Point Cook recorded a population of 66,781 at the 2021 census. Point Cook ...
, was parachuted in for the
2022 Victorian state election The 2022 Victorian state election was held on Saturday, 26 November 2022 to elect the 60th Parliament of Victoria. All 88 seats in the Legislative Assembly (lower house) and all 40 seats in the Legislative Council (upper house) were up for el ...
. Hilakari, before pre-selection, was residing in Melbourne's southeastern suburbs in Seaford. He is also the convenor for Labor's Socialist Left faction (of which
Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Daniel Andrews Daniel Michael Andrews (born 6 July 1972) is an Australian politician serving as the 48th and current premier of Victoria since December 2014. He has been the leader of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since December ...
is a part) in Victoria. * Anthony Byrne lived outside his electorate,
Holt Holt or holte may refer to: Natural world *Holt (den), an otter den * Holt, an area of woodland Places Australia * Holt, Australian Capital Territory * Division of Holt, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives in Vic ...
, in the neighbouring electorate of La Trobe. *
Clare O'Neil Clare Ellen O'Neil (born 12 September 1980) is an Australian politician who is the Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security, since 2022. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has been a member of the House of ...
previously lived in
East Melbourne East Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. East Melbourne recorded a population of 4,896 at the 2021 ...
, outside her electorate, Hotham, but bought a house in Oakleigh in 2020. *
Maria Vamvakinou Maria Vamvakinou ( el, Μαρία Βαμβακινού) (born 4 January 1959) is an Australian politician. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served in the House of Representatives since the 2001 federal election, repre ...
: she lived in Northcote, which lies outside her electorate, Calwell. *
Mark Dreyfus Mark Alfred Dreyfus (born 3 October 1956) is an Australian politician and lawyer who has been attorney-general of Australia and cabinet secretary since June 2022, having held both roles previously in 2013 and from 2010 to 2013 respectively. ...
lives outside his electorate,
Isaacs Isaacs may refer to: * The Isaacs, a bluegrass Southern gospel music group * Isaacs (surname) * Isaacs, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra, Australia * Division of Isaacs, a federal electoral division in Victoria, Australia * Divisi ...
. *
Ged Kearney Gerardine Mary "Ged" Kearney (born 29 October 1963) is an Australian politician and trade unionist. She has been a member of the House of Representatives since March 2018, representing the Division of Batman and later the Division of Cooper for ...
: As of 2018, Kearney didn't live in her electorate,
Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
at the time. *
Mary Doyle Mary Doyle (July 21, 1931 – June 8, 1995) was an American theatre actress who also appeared on TV between 1956 and 1982. Early life and career Doyle was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was the younger sister of actor David Doyle. She ac ...
: At the time of her preselections, Doyle didn't live in the
Division of Aston The Division of Aston is an Australian Federal Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. The division is located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, coextensive with the City of Knox local government area. The suburbs in the division inclu ...
. Doyle lived in the suburb of
Mitcham Mitcham is an area within the London Borough of Merton in South London, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross. Originally a village in the county of Surrey, today it is mainly a residential suburb, and includes Mitcham Common. It ha ...
, located in the nearby Deakin electorate.


Coalition

* In 2013, Liberal National Senator
Barnaby Joyce Barnaby Thomas Gerard Joyce (born 17 April 1967) is an Australian politician who served as the 17th deputy prime minister of Australia under Malcolm Turnbull from 2016 to 2018 and under Scott Morrison from 2021 to 2022. He was the leader of the ...
was preselected as Nationals candidate for the
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
seat of
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
. Joyce was raised in Tamworth, within the electorate, but had lived in
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
for over twenty years and represented the state in the Senate since 2005. *
Georgina Downer Georgina Mary Beatrice Downer (born 29 September 1979 in Brussels, Belgium) is an Australian political figure and Director of the Robert Menzies Institute. She has unsuccessfully contested several elections, and is a lawyer and former diplomat. ...
was
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
candidate for the electorate of
Mayo Mayo often refers to: * Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo" * Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States Mayo may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land Australia * Division of Mayo, an Aust ...
in the
2018 by-election Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short s ...
. Daughter of long-serving MP for Mayo
Alexander Downer Alexander John Gosse Downer (born 9 September 1951) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1994 to 1995, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 2007, and High Commissioner to the United King ...
, Downer had grown up in the area and proclaimed that she was "coming home" in the by-election. However, she had lived most of her life in
Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
and Melbourne and sought preselection for a seat in the latter during the 2016 election. She lost to incumbent
Rebekha Sharkie Rebekha Carina Sharkie ( Che; born 24 August 1972) is an Australian politician and member of the Centre Alliance party. She is a member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Mayo in South Australia. At the 201 ...
. * After the resignation of Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...
from Parliament in 2018,
Dave Sharma Devanand Noel "Dave" Sharma (born 21 December 1975) is an Australian former politician and former public servant and diplomat who served as member of parliament for Wentworth from 2019 to 2022. He lost the seat at the 2022 election to indep ...
was preselected as the Liberal candidate in the resulting by-election at
Wentworth Wentworth may refer to: People * Wentworth (surname) * Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth (1873–1957), Lady Wentworth, notable Arabian horse breeder * S. Wentworth Horton (1885–1960), New York state senator * Wentworth Miller (born 1 ...
. Sharma did not live in the electorate at the time. He narrowly lost the by-election, but successfully contested the seat again several months later in the
2019 Australian federal election The 2019 Australian federal election was held on Saturday 18 May 2019 to elect members of the 46th Parliament of Australia. The election had been called following the dissolution of the 45th Parliament as elected at the 2016 double dissolut ...
. In the 2022 federal general election, Independent candidate
Allegra Spender Allegra Spender is an Australian politician and businesswoman who is the member of parliament for Wentworth since 2022. She is the third generation of her family to sit in federal parliament, after her grandfather Percy and father John. One of ...
defeated Sharma. * Former President of the Australian Labor Party
Warren Mundine Nyunggai Warren Stephen Mundine is an Australian Aboriginal leader and politician. He was the National President of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), but quit the party in 2012. Mundine was appointed chairman of the Coalition (Australia), Coali ...
was a parachute candidate for the Liberal Party of Australia in the
Division of Gilmore The Division of Gilmore is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. History The Division of Gilmore was created in 1984 when the House of Representatives was expanded, and was named after Dame Mary Gilmore, the poet ...
at the 2019 federal election to succeed retiring MP
Ann Sudmalis Ann Elizabeth Sudmalis (''née'' Hardinge; born 16 September 1955) is a former Australian politician. She was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Gilmore in New South Wales, from September 20 ...
. Prior to Mundine's selection, the local party branches had preselected Grant Schultz, whose candidacy would eventually be overridden by the party's state executive to select Mundine instead at the request of Prime Minister
Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (; born 13 May 1968) is an Australian politician. He served as the 30th prime minister of Australia and as Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2018 to 2022, and is currently the member of parliament (MP) for t ...
.
Fiona Phillips Fiona Phillips (born 1 January 1961) is an English journalist, broadcaster and television presenter. She is best known for her presenting roles with the ITV Breakfast programme ''GMTV Today''. Early life Phillips was born in Canterbury Hospit ...
of the Australian Labor Party defeated Mundine: she received a two-party swing of 3.34 per cent while Schultz contested the electorate as an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
candidate, receiving 7,585 votes. * Despite representing
Menzies Menzies is a Scottish surname, with Gaelic forms being Méinnearach and Méinn, and other variant forms being Menigees, Mennes, Mengzes, Menzeys, Mengies, and Minges. Derivation and history The name and its Gaelic form are probably derived f ...
for nearly thirty-one years, Kevin Andrews never lived there. He lived in neighbouring
Jagajaga The Division of Jagajaga is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and lies north of the Yarra River. It covers an area of approximately 104 square kilometres and co ...
. * Jason Wood, the MP for La Trobe, lives with his family in
Mount Dandenong Mount Dandenong is a small township/suburb of Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district, located within the Shire of Yarra Ranges local government area. Mount Dandenong recorded a population of 1,2 ...
, approximately 11kms outside his electorate, in the
Division of Casey The Division of Casey is an Australian electoral division in the state of Victoria. The division was created in 1969 and is named for Richard Casey, who was Governor-General of Australia 1965–69. The division is located in the outer easte ...
. *
Brett Whiteley Brett Whiteley AO (7 April 1939 – 15 June 1992) was an Australian artist. He is represented in the collections of all the large Australian galleries, and was twice winner of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes. He held many exhibitions ...
did not live in his electorate of Braddon during the 2016 election campaign, but in neighbouring
Lyons Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of th ...
, at Squeaking Point near
Port Sorell Port Sorell is a town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is on the waterway of the same name, just off Bass Strait, 20 km east of Devonport and close to Shearwater and Hawley Beach. It borders the Rubicon Estuary, whi ...
. *
Eric Hutchinson Eric Hutchinson (born September 8, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his songs " Rock & Roll", "OK, It's Alright with Me", "Not There Yet", "Watching You Watch Him", and "Tell the World". Hutchinson was named an AOL "About t ...
did not live in his electorate,
Lyons Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of th ...
, but in neighbouring
Bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...
. *
Russell Broadbent Russell Evan Broadbent (born 25 December 1950) is an Australian politician who is a Liberal Party member of the House of Representatives, representing the Division of Monash (previously McMillan). He is one of the longest-serving current members ...
: , Broadbent, the MP for Monash, and his wife lived outside his electorate in
Pakenham, Victoria Pakenham is a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Melbourne city centre, Central Business District and the most populous city of the Shire of Cardinia. Pakenham recorded a population of 54 ...
, in the Division of La Trobe.


Canada


Federal

* In the
2008 Canadian federal election The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on October 14, 2008, to elect members to the House of Commons of Canada of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the 39th Canadian Parliament, previous parliament had been dissolved by Governor General of ...
, in
Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
, the
New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * t ...
nominated Phyllis Artiss, who lived in St. John's, for the northern riding of
Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...
. Artiss was nominated in the absence of any local candidate and admitted that she found her candidacy to be not ideal: "It would be much better to have someone from Labrador who has lived there all their lives or much of their lives and worked there, and I haven't done that." Artiss was unsuccessful in her bid. * Former
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Joe Clark Charles Joseph Clark (born June 5, 1939) is a Canadian statesman, businessman, writer, and politician who served as the 16th prime minister of Canada from 1979 to 1980. Despite his relative inexperience, Clark rose quickly in federal polit ...
, an
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
n, was seen as a parachute candidate when he ran for election in the
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
riding of
Kings—Hants Kings—Hants (formerly Annapolis Valley—Hants and Annapolis Valley) is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. Demographics :''According to the Canada 2 ...
at a by-election in 2000. Clark had been elected leader of the Progressive Conservatives for the second time in 1998 and was seeking a seat in the House of Commons; incumbent Tory MP
Scott Brison Scott A. Brison (born May 10, 1967) is a Canadian former politician from Nova Scotia. Brison served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Kings-Hants from the 1997 federal election until July 2000, then from November 2000 to Febru ...
had stepped aside for Clark. He was elected, but in the 2000 federal election, he instead sought election in the Alberta riding of
Calgary Centre Calgary Centre (french: Calgary-Centre; formerly known as Calgary South Centre) is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1968. The riding consists of many young adul ...
. He won in Calgary Centre, making it the only constituency to flip to the PCs. *
Chrystia Freeland Christina Alexandra Freeland (born August 2, 1968) is a Canadian politician serving as the tenth and current deputy prime minister of Canada since 2019 and the Minister of Finance (Canada), minister of finance since 2020. A member of the Libe ...
faced accusations of being a parachute candidate after the
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...
nominated her for the safe seat of
Toronto Centre Toronto Centre (french: Toronto-Centre) is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto (1872–1903) ...
at a 2013 by-election (which its former interim leader
Bob Rae Robert Keith Rae (born August 2, 1948) is a Canadian diplomat and former politician who is the current Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations since 2020. He previously served as the 21st premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, leader of the ...
had represented), as she was born in rural northern Alberta and lived in New York City at the time. She ultimately won the seat. *
Kellie Leitch Khristinn Kellie Leitch (born July 30, 1970) is a Canadian surgeon and former politician who served as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Simcoe—Grey from 2011 to 2019 as a member of the Conservative Party. She was first elected in th ...
was accused of being a parachute candidate when she sought the
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
nomination in the
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
riding of
Simcoe—Grey Simcoe—Grey is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1997. It was created in 1996 from parts of Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, Bruce—Grey, Simcoe Centre, Simcoe Nor ...
in
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
. Leitch was born in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
and worked in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
at the time of her nomination. Leitch won the seat over candidates including
Helena Guergis Helena C. Guergis, ( ; born February 19, 1969) is a Canadian politician of Assyrian descent. She represented the Ontario riding of Simcoe—Grey in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2011, and was appointed Minister of State (Status of ...
, the former Conservative Member of Parliament whom she defeated for the nomination and who ran as an independent. * In
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, the Conservative Party nominated Lea Mollison for the riding of
Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
. Mollison was a resident of
Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...
, Ontario, and reportedly never visited the
Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
. Mollison's campaign ignored local media requests, including an invitation to a candidates' forum, which drew widespread criticism. *
Lester B. Pearson Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian scholar, statesman, diplomat, and politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. Born in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of ...
, who was born and raised in Toronto, served as MP for
Algoma East Algoma East was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1904 to 1968. It was created in 1903 from parts of Algoma riding. It initially consisted of the territorial district ...
in rural
Northwestern Ontario Northwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Northern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the ...
during his parliamentary career from 1948 to 1968. In his memoirs, Pearson admitted he did not have "any earlier connection" to the riding; Pearson had been seeking entry into the House of Commons, and the seat had been made vacant for him when Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Li ...
recommended that its sitting member,
Thomas Farquhar Thomas Farquhar (January 28, 1875 – December 24, 1962) was a Canadian politician and businessman from northern Ontario. Farquhar served in municipal politics in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario becoming the city’s seventh mayor from 1920 to 1922. ...
, be appointed to the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. Pearson nevertheless won election eight times before retiring from Parliament, culminating in his premiership of five years. *
Jagmeet Singh Jagmeet Singh Jimmy Dhaliwal ( ; born January 2, 1979) is a Canadian politician who has served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) since 2017. Singh has sat as the member of Parliament (MP) for Burnaby South since 2019.Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
MPP for
Bramalea—Gore—Malton Bramalea—Gore—Malton (formerly known as Brampton—Malton and Bramalea—Gore—Malton—Springdale) was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada. In 2015, it was dissolved into ...
, faced accusations of being a parachute candidate when he stood at a by-election in
Burnaby South Burnaby South (french: Burnaby-Sud) is a federal electoral district in British Columbia. It encompasses a portion of British Columbia previously included in the electoral districts of Burnaby—Douglas and Burnaby—New Westminster. Burnaby ...
, a riding in
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. Singh had been elected leader of the NDP in 2017 but did not have a seat in the House of Commons (whereas the three other leadership candidates were serving MPs) and stood in Burnaby South to gain one. Singh pledged to move to
Burnaby Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard I ...
if he won the by-election. Singh was ultimately successful in his bid, and held his seat in the general elections of
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
and 2021.


Provincial

*
Ernie Eves Ernest Larry Eves (born June 17, 1946) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 23rd premier of Ontario from 2002 to 2003. A Progressive Conservative, he took over the premiership upon Mike Harris's resignation as party leade ...
became the leader of the Ontario PCs and
Premier of Ontario The premier of Ontario (french: premier ministre de l'Ontario) is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly of On ...
in
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
. He was called a parachute candidate when he ran for election in the safe Conservative seat of
Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2004. Federal electoral district The federal riding was created as a result of redistri ...
instead of a constituency in
Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia *Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area *Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wind ...
, where he was born, or
Parry Sound—Muskoka Parry Sound—Muskoka is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1949. The riding consists of the Territorial District of Parry Sound (excluding the Town of Powassan, ...
, which he had represented as MPP from 1981 until 1999. * In
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
,
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
leader
Susan Holt Susan Holt is a Canadian politician, who has been the leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Association since August 6, 2022, leader of the Opposition since May 9, 2023, and MLA for Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore since April 24, 2023. Holt ...
was accused of being a parachute candidate when she ran in the safe Liberal constituency of
Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore (french: Bathurst-Est-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore) is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was first contested in the 2014 general election, and it was ...
in a 2023 by-election instead of any riding in
Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
, where she was born and ran as a candidate in
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
(she placed second in
Fredericton South Fredericton South (french: Fredericton-Sud) is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was first contested in the 2014 general election, having been created in the 2013 redistribution of ele ...
). *
Danielle Smith Marlaina Danielle Smith (born April 1, 1971) is a Canadian politician and journalist who has been serving as the 19th premier of Alberta since October 11, 2022, and leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) since October 6, 2022. Smith ent ...
, current
Premier of Alberta The premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta, and the province's head of government. The current premier is Danielle Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party, who was sworn in on October 11, 2022. The ...
, was called a parachute candidate when she ran at a by-election in
Brooks-Medicine Hat Brooks-Medicine Hat is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting. It wa ...
after winning the
2022 United Conservative Party leadership election The 2022 United Conservative Party leadership election was held on October 6, 2022, in Alberta to select a new leader of the United Conservative Party and Premier of Alberta. The leadership election was triggered following the May 18, 2022, le ...
instead of Highwood, the district she resides in and formerly represented as a Wildrose MLA.


Municipal

* In Ontario, Patrick Brown, who had previously been MP for
Barrie Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically i ...
and MPP for
Simcoe North Simcoe North (french: Simcoe-Nord) is a federal electoral district in central Ontario, Canada. It was established as a federal riding in 1867. Demographics :''According to the Canada 2011 Census''; 2013 representation'' Ethnic groups: 87.8% ...
, was called a parachute candidate when he announced his campaign for
Mayor of Brampton The mayor of Brampton is head of the executive branch of the Brampton City Council. The current mayor is Patrick Brown (politician), Patrick Brown. The following is a list of mayors of Brampton: List # John Haggert, 1874–February 1877 # Ja ...
in
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
. Brown ultimately succeeded in his mayoral bid.


France

France has a long history of parachute candidates. Extreme examples have been candidates from
mainland France Metropolitan France (french: France métropolitaine or ''la Métropole''), also known as European France (french: Territoire européen de la France) is the area of France which is geographically in Europe. This collective name for the European ...
who ran for election in
overseas France Overseas France (french: France d'outre-mer) consists of 13 France, French-administered territories outside Europe, mostly the remains of the French colonial empire that chose to remain a part of the French state under various statuses after ...
. In 1963,
Michel Debré Michel Jean-Pierre Debré (; 15 January 1912 – 2 August 1996) was the first Prime Minister of the French Fifth Republic. He is considered the "father" of the current Constitution of France. He served under President Charles de Gaulle from 1959 ...
was parachuted to the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
island of
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
nearly 6,000 miles away from the mainland, where he won a
by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
and served as
deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spai ...
for seventeen years. In the small North American territory of
Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Pierre and Miquelon (), officially the Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (french: link=no, Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon ), is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France in t ...
, three candidates from the mainland have attempted to win its constituency seat since 2002, most recently Patricia Chagnon in
2024 Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1928 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ***''Steamboat Willie'', Walt Disney's fi ...
.


Ireland

*
Avril Doyle Avril Doyle (; born 18 April 1949) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician who served as a Minister of State from 1986 to 1987 and from 1995 to 1997. She served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 to 2004 and 2004 to 2009, a Te ...
stood for
Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil ...
at the 2004 European elections in the Ireland East constituency, despite being from
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, and was considered a parachute candidate. * George Lee was a successful parachute candidate for Fine Gael at the 2009 Dublin South
by-election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
. * Journalist
Susan O'Keeffe Susan O'Keeffe (born 18 September 1960) is an Irish journalist and former Labour Party politician. Personal life She was educated at Mount Anville Secondary School, Dublin, and at University College Cork. She lives in Collooney, County Sligo w ...
was described as a parachute candidate by local candidate Veronica Cawley when she stood for
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
in Sligo–North Leitrim at the 2011 general election; O'Keeffe is a native of Dublin but lived in
Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...
at the time. * Lorraine Mulligan was described as a parachute candidate when she stood for Labour at the
2014 Dublin West by-election A by-election was held in the Dáil Éireann Dublin West constituency in Ireland on Friday, 23 May 2014, following the resignation of Independent Teachta Dála (TD) Patrick Nulty on 22 March 2014. It was held on the same day as the 2014 Europe ...
, despite living in
Dublin Central Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 cen ...
. *
Catherine Noone Catherine Anna Noone (born 24 June 1976) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. She served as a Senator on the Industrial and Commercial Panel from April 2011 to March 2020. Prior to her election to the Seanad she was a member of Dublin City ...
stood for Fine Gael in
Dublin West Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 cens ...
at the 2016 general election; she later attempted to be "parachuted" in Dublin South-West before standing in Dublin Bay North at the
2020 general election The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2020. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems maintains a comprehensive list of upcoming elections on its E-Guide Platform. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calend ...
. *
Sheila Nunan Sheila Nunan is a former president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and former General Secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation. She has been a member of the executive of the INTO since 1995 and was INTO President from 2005 to 2 ...
stood for the Labour Party at the 2019 European elections in the Ireland South constituency, despite living in Dublin. Her team replied that she lived near the border with
County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by t ...
and her parents are from
County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...
, both counties in the South constituency. Michael McNamara claimed that "a parachute candidate could look like desperation. We
he Labour Party He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
need to be relevant and have relevant ideas for people in rural Ireland."


New Zealand

In 2017,
Deborah Russell Deborah Faye Russell (born 14 January 1966) is a New Zealand academic and politician. She is a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party. Biography Early life Russell was born in Whangamōmona, a small town in ...
won selection for the safe
Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
seat of
New Lynn New Lynn is a residential suburb in West Auckland, New Zealand, located 10 kilometres to the southwest of the Auckland city centre. The suburb is located along the Whau River, one of the narrowest points of the North Island, and was the locatio ...
, in West Auckland, despite being from
Whangamōmona Whangamōmona is a small township in the Stratford District and Manawatū-Whanganui Region in New Zealand. It lies on State Highway 43, the "Forgotten World Highway", north-east of Stratford and south-west of Ohura. By rail it is from Stratfo ...
, a small town in the
Manawatū-Whanganui Manawatū-Whanganui (; spelled Manawatu-Wanganui prior to 2019) is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, whose main population centres are the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Manawat ...
region. She beat out Greg Presland, a New Lynn resident for 30 years who had the backing of the local members. However, Labour's Council backed Russell because of her finance expertise and a pledge to have more women in electorates. Upon winning selection, Russell moved to the electorate. She was elected in the 2017 election and re-elected in
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
before being defeated in the electorate in
2023 Events Predicted and scheduled events * January 1 ** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law. ** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
.


Taiwan

Han Kuo-yu Daniel Han Kuo-yu (; born 17 June 1957) is a Taiwanese politician. He was a member of the Legislative Yuan from 1993 to 2002, representing a portion of Taipei County for three terms. He later became general manager of Taipei Agricultural Produc ...
was a successful parachute candidate for
Mayor of Kaohsiung The Mayor of Kaohsiung is the head of the Kaohsiung City Government, Taiwan and is elected to a four-year term. The current mayor is Chen Chi-mai who took office since 24 August 2020. Titles List of mayors Prefectural city era (appointe ...
at
2018 Taiwanese local elections Local elections were held on 24 November 2018 in Taiwan, to elect county magistrates (city mayors), county (city) councilors, township mayors, township councilors and chiefs of village (borough) in 6 municipalities and 16 counties (cities). Elec ...
. He has served previously on the
Taipei County Council New Taipei City Council () is the city council of New Taipei City, Republic of China. It is now composed of 66 councillors, all recently elected on 24 November 2018 in the local elections. Along with the Kaohsiung City Council, the city counci ...
and as a member of
Legislative Yuan The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for 4-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a parallel v ...
elected by
Taipei County New Taipei City is a special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest special municipality by area, be ...
.


United Kingdom

Parachute candidates are common in the
Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...
. The Westminster system historically emphasizes
party discipline Party discipline is a system of political norms, rules and subsequent respective consequences for deviance that are designed to ensure the relative cohesion of members of the respective party group. In political parties specifically (often refe ...
over responsiveness to constituencies. For example,
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...
, who was
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern pr ...
for over eleven years, represented
Finchley Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. Finchley is on high ground, north of Charing Cross. Nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, Mill Hill and H ...
despite living in
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, London. As far back as the 1900s, the then-dominant
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...
were parachuting candidates from England into
safe seats A safe seat is an electoral district (constituency) in a legislative body (e.g. Congress, Parliament, City Council) which is regarded as fully secure, for either a certain political party, or the incumbent representative personally or a combinati ...
in Scotland, including
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
, elected MP for Dundee in 1908. This led to a formal protest movement, called Young Scots, arguing that objections to carpet-baggers were based on a lack of understanding of the political will of their constituents on matters like Devolution in the United Kingdom, Home Rule. A 2013 YouGov survey found that support for a hypothetical candidate rose by 12 points after voters learned that his opponent had moved to the area two years earlier and by 30 points if the opponent lived 120 miles away. The percentage of local MPs rose, according to Michael Rush of the University of Exeter, from 25% in 1979 United Kingdom general election, 1979 to 45% in 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997; Ralph Scott of Demos (UK think tank), Demos calculates that 63% are local. According to surveys, public trust in all MPs has decreased, but trust in the local MP has increased, making pre-existing connections to seats more critical. Election advertisements emphasize local connections more than they mention the candidate's party or its leader. Such a change produces MPs who are more attentive to local issues, but may be detrimental to Britain's first-past-the-post voting system designed to create broad parties that party whips stabilize.


Labour Party

* Roy Jenkins was so unfamiliar with Glasgow, he later wrote, that on his arrival to campaign at the 1982 Glasgow Hillhead by-election its skyline was "as mysterious to me as the List of mosques in Istanbul, minarets of Constantinople" to Imperial Russian Army, Russian troops during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Russo-Turkish War. Campaigning as a Social Democratic Party (UK), Social Democrat, Jenkins won the election, taking the seat from the Scottish Conservatives. *Shaun Woodward, who was first elected as a Conservative Party (UK), Conservative MP in 1997, defected to the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party in 1999. He faced much criticism from former Conservative colleagues, particularly when he refused to resign and fight a by-election. In 2001 United Kingdom general election, 2001, Woodward did not contest his safe Conservative seat of Witney (UK Parliament constituency), Witney in Oxfordshire, instead being selected for the similarly ultra-safe Labour seat of St Helens South (UK Parliament constituency), St Helens South in Merseyside. During the early days of the 2001 general election campaign, Labour minister Chris Mullin (politician), Chris Mullin wrote in his diary that "the New Labour elite ... parachut[ing] [Woodward] into one of [its] safe seats ... [was] one of New Labour's vilest stitch-ups", and that listening to him campaigning as a Labour candidate "made my flesh creep." * Luciana Berger was a middle-class Londoner parachuted into the north-western working-class safe Labour seat of Liverpool Wavertree (UK Parliament constituency), Liverpool Wavertree. She was heavily criticised for having no connection to the Wavertree constituency or Liverpool when she first ran in 2010 United Kingdom general election, 2010. When a local radio station asked her basic questions about the culture of Liverpool, she could not answer them and, during the selection process, she stayed at the house of retiring local MP Jane Kennedy (politician), Jane Kennedy rather than resettle in the area. Some figures in the media suggested that she was only selected for the seat because of her close connections to the family of former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Berger won the seat in 2010 with a slightly larger majority than Kennedy had in 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005, against the national trend, then retained it in 2015 United Kingdom general election, 2015 and 2017 United Kingdom general election, 2017. After joining the Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats in 2019, she unsuccessfully contested the Greater London seat of Finchley and Golders Green (UK Parliament constituency), Finchley and Golders Green at the 2019 United Kingdom general election, 2019 general election. She chose to stand there because of the seat's large Jewish population and Brexit, Remain vote, as well as her affinity towards living in London and choice to raise her children there rather than in Liverpool. * David Miliband, David and Ed Miliband were selected to fight safe Labour seats in northern England, South Shields (UK Parliament constituency), South Shields and Doncaster North (UK Parliament constituency), Doncaster North respectively, despite being University of Oxford, Oxford graduates who were born, raised, and living in London while working as political advisers. David was elected for the first time in 2001, and Ed in 2005. Both would later serve as ministers under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and fight against each other in the 2010 Labour Party leadership election (UK), 2010 party leadership election.


Conservative Party

* Boris Johnson's selection for the ultra-safe Conservative seat of Henley (UK Parliament constituency), Henley in 2001, after Conservative Campaign Headquarters, the party's central office parachuted him in,J Cheng-Morris (6 December 2019
"Arrogant in the extreme: The story of Boris Johnson's general election victory in 2001"
Yahoo! News: Retrieved 30 September 2023
was described by senior local Tory Mike McInnes as "a disaster for the integrity of modern politics" and "arrogant in the extreme", Johnson having "blustered in with no knowledge about the constituency". McInnes commented that he could not see him supporting a hypothetical local old lady who was having problems with her housing benefit and asked, "Are people going to feel comfortable going to him?" Likewise, Johnson's main rival, Liberal Democrat candidate Catherine Bearder, gave him a withering assessment. She said: "In Henley, you can put a blue rosette on a donkey and it will get elected. And that's what happened in 2001... He clearly just wanted to be an MP. 2008 London mayoral election, As soon as London came up, he was off out." * Prior to the 2024 United Kingdom general election, 2024 general election, Richard Holden (British politician), Richard Holden, who was serving as the Chairman of the Conservative Party, represented the marginal seat of North West Durham (UK Parliament constituency), North West Durham, which he won in the 2019 United Kingdom general election, 2019 general election with a slender 2.4% majority. He was later selected for the safe Conservative Party (UK), Conservative seat of Basildon and Billericay (UK Parliament constituency), Basildon and Billericay after he was imposed as the candidate by the Conservative Party against local opposition; Holden was the only contender allowed to stand on the shortlist. This led to accusations of carpetbagging, especially after it emerged that, in January 2024, he described himself as "bloody loyal to the north-east", and denied he would seek a safer seat.


Minor parties

* In 1974, Enoch Powell left the Conservative Party and joined the Ulster Unionist Party, Ulster Unionists, becoming the Westminster MP for South Down (UK Parliament constituency), South Down, despite having no Ulster connections. In 2002, when ex-Tory MP Andrew Hunter (British politician), Andrew Hunter (who had family and Orange Order connections with Northern Ireland) joined the Democratic Unionist Party, the UUP accused him of being a carpet-bagger. It was pointed out the criticism was "a little hollow" considering the UUP's prior acceptance and promotion of Powell. * George Galloway was expelled from Labour in 2003 over Iraq War-related controversies and, despite previously representing Glasgow Kelvin (UK Parliament constituency), Glasgow Kelvin, stood for the Respect Party in the Greater London constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow (UK Parliament constituency), Bethnal Green and Bow at the 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 general election, where he used his opposition to the war and the local Muslim population to gain the seat from Labour. Constitutional Affairs Minister David Lammy said he was a carpetbagger who had whipped up racial tensions. After standing down from Bethnal Green and Bow in 2010, he stood for Respect at a 2012 Bradford West by-election, 2012 by-election in the West Yorkshire seat of Bradford West (UK Parliament constituency), Bradford West. Another seat with a high local Muslim population, Galloway made a point of not drinking alcohol and again gained the seat from Labour. He lost Bradford West in 2015 to Labour's Naz Shah. As an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
, he unsuccessfully contested Manchester Gorton (UK Parliament constituency), Manchester Gorton in 2017 and West Bromwich East (UK Parliament constituency), West Bromwich East in 2019. He attempted to be selected as the Reform UK, Brexit Party candidate in the Cambridgeshire seat of Peterborough (UK Parliament constituency), Peterborough in a 2019 Peterborough by-election, 2019 by-election but the party selected local businessman Mike Greene. Having formed the Workers Party of Britain, Galloway returned to parliament at the 2024 Rochdale by-election in which there were a variety of problems with the major-party candidates and he ran a campaign Criticism of Israel, critical of Israel over its role in the Israel–Hamas war. * Douglas Carswell defected from the Conservatives to the UK Independence Party in 2014, in turn displacing the existing UKIP candidate for the forthcoming general election in his constituency of Clacton (UK Parliament constituency), Clacton. As Carswell was living in London then, the former UKIP candidate accused him of carpetbagging.


United States


U.S. Senate

* Scott Brown (politician), Scott Brown was the unsuccessful Republican nominee in the 2014 United States Senate election in New Hampshire, despite having represented Massachusetts in the Senate just 2012 United States Senate election in Massachusetts, two years prior. Brown's family had previously resided in New Hampshire, however, and he owned a vacation home in the state. * Alan Keyes, a resident of Maryland, was the unsuccessful Republican nominee in the 2004 United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004 Illinois United States Senate election. Notably, he had previously run unsuccessfully for the Senate in Maryland in 1988 United States Senate election in Maryland, 1988 and 1992 United States Senate election in Maryland, 1992. * First Lady of the United States Hillary Clinton was elected in the 2000 United States Senate election in New York after buying a house in Chappaqua, New York, Chappaqua in 1999. Born in Illinois, Clinton had previously lived in Arkansas and Washington, D.C.; she served as a senator until she resigned in 2009 to become United States Secretary of State. * Former United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy was elected to the U.S. Senate in New York in 1964 United States Senate election in New York, 1964, serving from 1965 until Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, his death on June 6, 1968. He had previously resided in his home state of Massachusetts. His opponents accused Kennedy of merely using the state as a convenient launching pad for the presidency. * Mitt Romney was elected to the U.S. Senate in Utah in 2018 United States Senate election in Utah, 2018, though he was born in Michigan, resided in Massachusetts during the 2012 United States presidential election, and served as the governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. * Mehmet Oz moved from Cliffside Park, New Jersey, Cliffside Park, New Jersey to Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, several months prior to the primary of the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania.


U.S. House of Representatives

* Alex Mooney, a former member of the Maryland Senate and former chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, moved to West Virginia in 2013 after previously exploring a run in Maryland's 6th congressional district. Less than two years after moving, he was elected in the 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in West Virginia, 2014 general election to represent West Virginia's 2nd congressional district. Mooney unsuccessfully 2024 United States Senate election in West Virginia, ran for the US Senate seat held by Senator Joe Manchin. * Trey Hollingsworth moved from Tennessee to Indiana in September 2015. He ran as a Republican to represent Indiana's 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and won the election in 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Indiana, 2016. * Morgan Ortagus, a former United States Department of State, State Department spokeswoman, moved from Florida to Tennessee only months before announcing her candidacy for the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Tennessee#District 5, 2022 Republican primary in Tennessee's 5th congressional district. Ortagus was ultimately disqualified due to the Tennessee Republican Party's bylaws requiring candidates to have voted in three of the last four Tennessee Republican primaries. * Eli Crane was elected in 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Arizona, 2022 to serve as the U.S. representative for Arizona's 2nd congressional district, while he resides in Oro Valley, Arizona, Oro Valley, which is in Arizona's 1st congressional district. The majority of Crane's district is on the northern side of Arizona, while he resides in the southern areas of the state.Albert Serna Jr (October 14, 2022)
US House, District 2: Eli Crane limits public access, doesn't live in district-but is Trump endorsed
Cronkite News: Retrieved August 12, 2023


See also

* List of democracy and elections-related topics


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parachute Candidate Elections Elections terminology Political metaphors referring to people