a person who aspires to some public office.

In the Roman commonwealth, they were obliged to wear a white gown during the two years of their soliciting a place. This garment, according to Plutarch, they wore without any other clothes, that the people might not suspect they concealed money for purchasing votes, and also that they might more easily show to the people the scars of those wounds they had received in fighting for the defense of the commonwealth. The candidates usually declared their pretensions a year before the time of election, which they spent in making interest and gaining friends. Various arts of popularity were practised for this purpose, and frequent circuits made round the city, and visits and compliments to all sorts of persons, the proceeds of which was called ambitus. See AMBITUS.