Money versus Party Effort: Nominating for Governor

Abstract

At a time when people say money is dominating politics and hence parties, this paper shows that a strong party organization dominates money. This research investigates the relative power of money and party strength in the race for gubernatorial nomination. The hypothesis predicts that the importance of money varies with party effort. To test this a comparison is made between party effort and money in states where the primary determines the outcome of the nominating process and in states where the parties make gubernatorial endorsements. Multiple regression analysis is used to estimate the relative influence of measures of money and effort on the primary or convention outcomes. The results indicate that more money is spent and that money is highly related to the outcomes of primary contests where the party does not endorse. Less money is spent, and money is not a major explanation for the success of candidates in endorsing conventions and the primaries that follow.