Replication Data for: Primaries Throught the Looking Glass: the electoral effects of opening the selection of top candidates

In this paper the foundations of existing research regarding the effects of plebiscitarian selection mechanisms on candidates’ electoral strength are revisited. While for existing research parties’ decision-making is not nested, we argue that party primary effects entail the interdependence of party procedures for candidate selection. This paper assesses the validity of the two approaches. Using original data from 7 parties and 296 regional elections in Canada, Germany and Spain, and from 62 pre-election polls in Germany and Spain, we show that, other things equal, primary-selected candidates are not stronger than those selected by other procedures. However, there is evidence of a penalty for those parties not selecting candidates by primary when their main rival does, in particular when the primary election is not divisive and is held closer to the general election.