Message Board Archives

We find that Republican members of Congress who supported President Trump’s “stop the steal” efforts following the 2020 election suffered little or no electoral penalty in contested general elections in 2022. Moreover, they were less likely to lose primary elections, more likely to run unopposed in the general election, more likely to run for higher office, and less likely to retire from politics. These findings cast doubt on characterizations of the 2022 election as “an important victory for US democracy,” and raise concerns about the extent to which Republican primary voters and party officials may condone or encourage future undemocratic behavior by Republican elected officials.