Transatlantic political language

interesting point anno I don't have an answer though.

Perhaps British political hopefuls stand, or used to stand, on soapboxes to disseminate their political ideas, whereas US political hopefuls seem to run around the country to drum up support. Just a thought

And yet we talk about someone 'running for mayor' in the UK...

Do we? I didn't know that.

Maybe it depends where you live in the UK. I thought it was 'standing for' mayor. I have a friend whose children call her 'Mom', for example, or Mommy. I thought maybe she was American or Irish, but she comes from the black country and she says it's very common there. She has no discernible accent so it was hard to place her.

That's a real poser. Thinking about it I feel that to "stand" for something is to show your position above others (presumably sitting). Whereas "running" for election makes me think that there are lots of people with ideals that they are wanting to get across. Perhaps it's something to do with Britain being very old in its history and America being relatively young - with people there (in their old days) thrusting themselves forward to be leaders of the "new country"? Not sure this makes sense to anyone other than me?

Yes, we do, thatbags. I thought we did, and when I googled it there were a great many references to it. I've never actually heard of anyone 'standing' for mayor.

BUT I have now googled 'standing for mayor' and it seems it's just as common as 'running', so I stand (or run!) corrected!

I have just asked American DDiL.
She has no idea either

A thought has just occurred to me
The Americans also talk about the 'race to the White House' - which suggests that runners are taking part.
I don't think we have an equivalent expression in British politics - we don't talk about the race to No 10, do we?
So I think as Bags suggests, it is an association with soapboxes, or their modern equivalent, the podium of the television debate.

Presidential candidates and other aspiring politicians in the USA used to stand on the stump rather than a soapbox – but stump to the White House doesn't sound very dynamic.

I think another difference is that in America, the elections we hear about are those where individual politicians are competing for the office of president.
In this country, it is parties who are competing to form a government with individuals competing to represent a particular constituency.
We don't as yet think of it in terms of two individuals competing for the office of Prime Minister, though T Blair had a good go at trying to make the office of Prime Minister more presidential in style, and the media do their best to reduce it to a battle if personalities rather than a clinical comparison of policies.

Hello, ana . I've never actually heard anyone talking about standing or running or anyothering for mayor

There was quite a lot of it about when Boris Johnson was doing it! (whatever it is)