Primary Divisiveness and General Election Success: A Re-examination

Abstract

IS A CANDIDATE for elective office helped or harmed by a divisive primary election experience? The usual assumption is, of course, that the candidate's prospects are harmed because hotly contested primaries intensify the conflicts between different elements within the party. Such intraparty conflicts contribute to the loss of votes in the general election, for supporters of the loser either vote for the opposition or abstain from participating altogether. An abundant literature, both scholarly and journalistic, testifies to the destructiveness of divisive primary campaigns. The mood is wel expressed by Theodore H. White: