When it comes to describing a person who has applied or been nominated for a position, the phrase "was a candidate" is just the tip of the iceberg. There are numerous synonyms that one could use to convey the same message, such as "applied for", "ran for", "sought", "put forward for", "stood for", "competed for", "vied for", "contended for", "aspired to", and so on. The choice of synonym would depend on the context, tone, and level of formality of the communication. For example, an academic paper might prefer "put forward for" over "ran for" for a more neutral and exact description.