Are Transportation Issues Important in Local Elections?

Abstract

Transportation is a core responsibility of local government, yet its role in shaping electoral outcomes remains unclear. Using data on 548 candidates for local office in the United States, this study analyzes campaign website content with logistic regression and descriptive statistics to examine which candidates include transportation issues and whether doing so is associated with electoral performance. Results show that the inclusion of transportation platforms varies across candidate and institutional contexts, with differences between city and county elections. Importantly, candidates who include transportation policies perform better, on average, among non-incumbents, mayoral candidates, and those in mayor–council or strong mayor cities. Overall, these findings suggest that transportation is not only a policy domain but also a salient electoral issue in many local contexts, particularly in city elections. The results further indicate that including transportation issues may offer a strategic advantage to candidates for local office.

Keywords

elections transportation municipal local government campaigns

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