Incumbency Often Spells Election Win
ICPR Executive Director Sarah Brune was quoted in this article
via Herald & Review
“SPRINGFIELD — When Gov. Bruce Rauner and his fellow Republicans talk about creating term limits for elected officials and taking lawmakers out of the process of redrawing legislative districts, they’re taking on one of the most powerful forces in politics, both in Illinois and nationwide.
But it’s not long-serving Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago or the state Democratic Party that he leads. It’s the power of incumbency.
By analyzing data from state legislative races across the country in 2013 and 2014, the Montana-based National Institute on Money in State Politics determined that voters re-elected 91 percent of incumbents running in general elections. Current officeholders who raised more campaign cash than their opponents were even more likely to retain their seats, winning 94 percent of their races.”
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