A man disappeared while running for office. He might still win.

"Petros Krommidas went missing last spring near the shorein Long Beach, New York. Police found a towel among his belongings on the beach, but no sign of the 29-year-old Ivy League graduate who was running for local office in Nassau County as a Democrat. His family believes he may have gone for a swim while training for a triathlon. More than five months later, and after a grueling search by police and divers, Krommidas has not been found and is presumed dead."

"When two voters filed a lawsuit attempting to stop them, Democrats accused their rivals of trying to keep him there for political advantage. "Nassau Republicans forcing our missing friend to stay on the ballot is frankly ghoulish," Nassau County Young Democrats wrote in a Facebook post. But a local judge ruled with the voters, saying that Krommidas must remain on the ballot because he has not been declared legally dead."

Petros Krommidas, 29, went missing last spring near the shore in Long Beach, New York. Police found a towel among his belongings on the beach and no sign of him. Family believes he may have gone for a swim while training for a triathlon. After more than five months and a grueling search by police and divers, he has not been found and is presumed dead. State law requires a primary winner to remain the candidate until legally declared deceased, so Krommidas stays on the ballot. Local Democrats plan to win the seat and then either hold a special election or name a replacement if necessary.

Read at The Washington Post