# stalking horse

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/stalking-horse
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A candidate put forward to serve a hidden, ulterior purpose in a political campaign, such as testing the field for another potential candidate by gauging voter sentiment or covertly helping another candidate by attracting voters away from a third candidate.

## Examples

- The candidate acts as a stalking horse for the party leader.
- Many analysts believe the minor candidate is merely a stalking horse designed to split the opposition vote.
- By entering the primary race, the senator served as a stalking horse, testing public reaction before the frontrunner officially announced his own campaign.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.