Voter Contact Techniques in State Legislative Campaigns: The Prevalence of Mass Media Advertising

Abstract

What methods of voter contact are used by candidates running for state legislative office? A number of studies on the congressional level suggest that mass media advertising, particularly on television, is becoming the predominant form of voter contact. However, few studies have questioned whether these findings are generalizable to state legislative races. This analysis of itemized expenditure data for 583 primary and general election candidates in Texas and Kansas shows that state legislative campaigns differ dramatically from congressional campaigns in their methods of voter contact. In both primary and general election campaigns, state legislative candidates allocate a preponderance of their voter contact dollars to direct forms of contact, such as mailings and pamphlet distribution. However, some candidates do allocate resources to advertising in mass media. District-level features condition the choice more than do candidate type, level of expenditures, or electoral competition. Few recent studies have examined voter contact expenditures in state legislative campaigns in detail. Using spending data from campaigns in Texas and Kansas, this study addresses two types of question. First, how do state legislative candidates allocate their resources-what types of media do they rely on to deliver their message to voters? Do they spend higher proportions of their voter contact dollars on mass media or on more direct forms of contact, such as mailings and pamphlet distribution? Second, what factors influence these choices? I explore a number of explanations for spending patterns, including those related to the candidate, the campaign context, and the legislative district.