| dc.description.abstract | How do endorsements and financial contributions to campaigns affect voter decisions in judicial elections? By nature, as low level and low-interest elections, success in a judicial election may largely rely upon the ability of candidates to arouse voter awareness. In partisan judicial elections, in particular, an interesting dynamic is created in a race that is supposedly comprised of "impartial" candidates. This study investigates the unique nature of partisan judicial elections by identifying partisanship, ideological endorsements, incumbency, and information availability as variables in primary and general elections. The study uses data from the partisan judicial contests that took place in the 2020 primary and general elections in Texas; it selects 50 counties of varying population densities. The results of the study support the theory it develops, that political parties can have a strong influence on the selection of judicial candidates in party primaries, not unlike the presidential races described by The Party Decides theory. | |
