Incumbent Spending in Gubernatorial Elections: An Investigation of Primary Type and Candidate Deviation

Abstract

In the public choice literature, it has been shown that (i) candidates deviate from their median voter based upon the primary election type, and (ii) incumbents that deviate from the median voter will pay for deviating with higher campaign expenditures. This paper examines the relationship between gubernatorial incumbent campaign spending and the degree of openness of political primaries in the United States to examine if the type of primary system influences campaign spending. The authors find that incumbent candidates who face a more open primary will deviate less and therefore spend less to win elections.