ABSTRACT
The process of political incorporation is essential for integrating immigrant and minority interests into politics. Coethnic candidates are important players in increasing the electoral participation of the politically quiescent. However, the means by which coethnic mobilization incorporates underrepresented populations remain unclear. We posit three mechanisms. First, coethnic candidates may attempt to expand the electoral base; second, their candidacies offer a coethnic cue that encourages citizens to vote to support their group; and third, mobilization by coethnic candidates may lead to habitual voting. Using voter history panel data supplemented by elite interviews, we test these hypotheses using a set of elections in a district in Orange County, California with substantial Latino and Vietnamese-American populations. We find that coethnic candidacies can mobilize coethnic support as long as the campaign message also resonates, even when out-group competition is absent. Coethnic mobilization is especially powerful in the immigrant generation. However, we find no support of a voting habit carrying over in the absence of a coethnic cue. Our study contributes to minority political incorporation scholarship by offering insights on how coethnic candidates can open up avenues toward electoral participation to members of their group, thus increasing the likelihood that their interests will be represented.
