District Office Location and Primary Competition in Congressional Elections

• In Event: Legislators and Their Constituents

Abstract

Representation is a core aspect of a democracy. In this project, we analyze the relationship between the geographical distance of a congressional district's population center from the nearest district office and its influence on a congressional member's vote share in primary elections. We hypothesize that an increase in distance will be associated with an increase in competition in the primary election. We test our hypothesis among all House incumbents seeking reelection between 1990 and 2020. Using geospatial analysis, we find evidence to support our theoretical expectation. The findings of this research may provide valuable insights into the factors that influence electoral competition, and they inform discussions surrounding district office locations in the context of democratic representation.

Authors

• Jason S. Byers, University of Connecticut

• Laine Shay, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi