Other forms: front-runners
In politics, a front-runner is the candidate considered most likely to win an election. If you promise free candy for everyone if you're elected student body president, you may find yourself being the front-runner!
The front-runner is in first place, whether in a literal running race or a political contest. Journalists and pollsters primarily decide who is or is not a front-runner, and that number one position usually shifts throughout a presidential election season. The word was originally used in horse racing to describe a horse that runs at its fastest speed while it's in the lead. It first appeared in American politics in 1908, and it has a primarily political meaning today.