The growing Latino and Asian American populations have created diverse electorates. Candidates often try to appeal through racial/ethnic identity or by securing ethnic group endorsements.
\u2015 Surprisingly, these endorsements don't just matter—they weaken voters' tendency toward ideological alignment (spatial voting).
\u2015 Using original surveys and exit polls plus experimental manipulations of endorsements in multiethnic local settings reveals this effect is especially strong among white voters due to stereotypes.
\u2015 This suggests candidates strategically seek these endorsements, weighing the potential costs against political benefits.
| Racial or Spatial Voting? The Effects of Candidate Ethnicity and Ethnic Group Endorsements in Local Elections was authored by Cheryl Boudreau, Christopher Elmendorf and Scott MacKenzie. It was published by Wiley in AJPS in 2019. |
