Abstract

In this research note we present preliminary evidence on the characteristics of twenty-four congressional electoral campaigns during the Chilean national elections of 2005 and then utilize it to create a typology of campaign types for incumbents and challengers. The evidence was collected through participant observation and in-depth interviewing in six electoral districts of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago. Additionally, we systematized secondary information available for each district and candidate. The statistical and Boolean analysis of this data yields the following results: a) different campaign profiles exist; b) the most important variable in causing those divergent profiles is incumbency, as incumbent legislators seeking reelection spend systematically more than their challengers; c) although the previous trend holds among different types of districts and across political parties, incumbent candidates of the Alianza spend more than their counterparts of the Concertación, especially when competing in popular districts; d) other theoretically important factors such as candidate's access to an extensive partisan network in the district, the use of party-symbols in campaigns, the reliance on anti-party or outsider rhetoric, or congressmen's Congress attendance record do not seem to affect election or reelection chances. Our analysis also identifies the campaign types that are most likely to generate the election of incumbents or challengers. Most notably we found that the most effective (but very unusual) way for challengers to beat an incumbent is to spend more than, and aggressively confront, their own coalition's incumbent candidate.