From the Latin adjective candidus meaning “bright, white," which in turn comes from the Latin verb candere meaning “to shine,” the English candidate is someone who is running for elected office. In ancient Rome, men campaigning for office wore a bright-white toga (the toga candida). The cand stem also shows up in the English words candle (with its “bright” light), candid (morally “bright” and therefore honest or sincere), and those “bright” and “shining” light bulbs that we call in-cand-escent.