Candidates, money and voters - assessing the state of congressional elections research

In this field essay I summarize recent findings on congressional elections with an eye toward identifying the gaps, contradictions, and questions that still remain. I organize the discussion around three related topics: candidates, campaign finance, and voters. I examine our understanding of who runs and who does not run for Congress, and raise questions about the notion of challenger quality and how it has been measured. My focus then shifts to a discussion of the effects of money in congressional elections, highlighting unresolved questions about the influence of incumbent spending on election outcomes. I then examine the literature on voters in congressional elections, bringing together work that ties candidates and campaigns to their effects on individual voting decisions. I then conclude the essay by discussing how different research approaches might advance our understanding of congressional elections.