Campaign Capital, Resource Mobilization, and Candidate Performance in Local Elections

In Canada, municipal elections are typically non-partisan contests. Incumbents enjoy a large advantage in these settings, whereas non-incumbents must mobilize campaign resources to make their name and message known to residents. How do non-incumbents mobilize campaign resources without support from party organizations? We suggest that they draw on what we call campaign capital . Campaign capital comprises pre-existing endowments candidates can utilize when campaigning: prior campaign experience, personal funds, and embeddedness in local networks. Analyzing an original dataset linking responses from a campaign-time survey of 1,450 candidates in municipal elections to election results, campaign finance disclosures, and census data, we show that campaign capital shapes the ability of non-incumbents to raise money and mobilize campaign volunteers, and that spending and volunteer mobilization in turn predict electoral success. The findings have implications for research in local and urban politics, democratic representation, electoral studies, and campaign finance reform in Canada and beyond.