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Candidate Perceptions of Political Party Campaign Activity in State Legislative Elections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2021

Robert E. Hogan
Robert E. Hogan*
Affiliation:
Louisiana State University
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Abstract

This article examines candidates' perceptions of political party services provided in state legislative campaigns using survey data from seven states in 1994. I find that candidates generally do not feel that party assistance is very helpful, although multivariate analyses show that this varies systematically with state context and district-level competition. The influence of campaign financing on candidate perceptions is particularly important. In districts where candidates spend similar amounts on their campaigns, candidates believe parties provide greater assistance. My findings suggest that parties target campaign services to candidates in the same way that they target financial contributions, focusing on districts where these resources are most likely to affect the election outcome.

Type
Research Article
Information
State Politics & Policy Quarterly , Volume 2 , Issue 1 , Spring 2002 , pp. 66 - 85
Copyright
Copyright © Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, 2002

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