Political survival and legislative reselection in Mexico’s chamber of deputies

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article presents an empirical investigation into the factors influencing the renomination of legislators by party leaders for their continued presence in Congress. We argue that legislators who have previously held influential positions within Congress, such as Committee President, have a successful track record of (co)sponsoring bills, and have built distinguished political careers, are more likely to be renominated in Congress. To test this theory, we employ an original dataset sourced from the Mexican 2018–2021 Chamber of Deputies, which comprises the inaugural group of Congress members allowed to seek reelection after a 90-year prohibition within the context of a transforming party system marked by the diminishing electoral attractiveness of traditional parties. Our findings carry significant implications for comprehending how party leaders recognise and reward legislators who effectively safeguard the party’s interests and uphold its reputation inside the halls of Congress.