Giving to Governors: State Contribution Limits and the Incumbency Advantage

Consistent with elections throughout the United States, majority of contributions in gubernatorial campaigns come from individuals. Understanding incentives for why individual donors give money varying political environments is essential understanding influence donors. Using contribution data 2009 through 2015, this paper considers whether state campaign finance reform has had unintended effects how incumbent and non-incumbent candidates raise money. This study demonstrates that donations vary theoretically driven ways. Few factors, however, affect donor generosity more than relationship between a candidate’s incumbency status severity laws. Jacobson’s early concerns, restrictive laws appear to strengthen position incumbents place at disadvantage. Where states apply less limits, advantage held by among largely disappears.