A candidate is like when you and your friends want to play a game, but first, you need to choose a team leader. You and your friends can all be candidates for the team leader. A candidate is just someone who might be chosen for something special, like being the leader or getting a prize.
Think about a flower garden. Each flower is different and beautiful. If you want to pick one flower to be the star of a flower show, each flower is a candidate. They are all waiting to see which one will be chosen to be the prettiest.
Imagine a costume party. Everyone wears different costumes, and there is a prize for the best one. All the kids in costumes are candidates for the prize. They all hope to be picked as the winner.
Think of an election like a big game where people choose who will be the boss of the game. The ones who want to be the boss are candidates. They tell everyone why they should be picked, and then people vote to decide who wins.