I remember reading a newspaper column, maybe by Herb Safire, about one of those. He had run for state legislature for decades and never gotten any traction. Well one year the longtime incumbent up and died, and it was too late to get a new candidate on the ballot. He had name recognition up the wazoo, and sure enough he won the election.

Once in office he was highly unpopular among the other legislators because he actually tried to be honest and do what he always said he was going to do in his campaign ads. He made little headway. He served one term and was defeated.