2 - Ideological and Factional Primaries

Summary

This chapter presents the descriptive argument that primary elections have undergone a fundamental transformation along several dimensions between 2006 and 2020. In particular, it presents evidence that during this period primary elections became factional, with candidates receiving support from distinct parts of their party coalition; and ideological, with candidates framing their candidacies in terms of positional differences from their intra-party opponents. These changes were associated with a higher rate of contested primaries.