ABSTRACT
Candidates for office are a fundamental building block of legislative politics because the nature of the candidate pool defines the characteristics of the members who serve in the U.S. House and Senate. A candidate’s background, political ideology, and prior work experience shape not only his or her political ambitions and chances of election, but also the skills and political perspectives he or she brings to the job as a representative. For example, state legislators who win a seat in the U.S. House are more adept at securing plum committee positions to pursue their policy agendas from the outset compared to amateurs who lack legislative experience (Berkman 1993) and they are more likely than amateurs to become legislative leaders (Canon 1990). Similarly, the demographics of the candidate pool, such as race and gender, shape the boundaries of descriptive representation in Congress and the diversity of voices engaging in legislative debates. Thus, understanding why specific candidates run for Congress is an important step toward understanding who makes legislative decisions and why.
