The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent(s). For example, in the 2012 United States presidential election, Barack Obama is the incumbent, because he is the president in the current term while the election seeks to determine the president for the following term. A race without an incumbent is referred to as an open seat.
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