There are many different ways to describe a candidate who lost in an election. Some synonyms for this phrase include political runner-up, defeated contender, unsuccessful aspirant, losing nominee, and failed campaigner. Each of these terms implies a slightly different nuance, with political runner-up suggesting that the candidate came in second place, while unsuccessful aspirant implies that they were never really in contention to begin with. Regardless of the specific wording chosen, it is important to remember that losing an election is not the end of a political career, and many candidates go on to run again and win in future contests.