Political Competition in Legislative Elections∗

We develop a theory of candidate nomination processes predicated upon the notion that members of the majority party in a legislature collaboratively influence policy. Because of this team aspect, a candidate’s party label matters for voters, in addition to his own policy positions: For example, in a liberal district, electing even a liberal Republican may be unattractive for voters because it increases the chance that Republicans obtain the majority in Congress, thereby increasing the power of more conservative Republicans. We show that candidates may be unable to escape the burden of their party association, and that primary voters in both parties are likely to nominate extremist candidates. We also show that gerrymandering affects the equilibrium platforms not only in those districts that become more extreme, but also in those that ideologically do not change.