Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection report
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2021 statistics |
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For the fourth year in a row, Ballotpedia invited candidates to take part in our Candidate Connection initiative. We surveyed candidates at the federal, state, and local levels to help voters choose representatives who reflected their values and upheld their ideals.
A total of 694 candidates responded to the survey. This number represents 13.5% of the 5,138 candidates Ballotpedia covered in 2021—a 6.6 percentage point increase over 2018 when 6.9% of candidates responded to the survey.
This 2021 report further compares 2021 respondents to 2020-2018 respondents and examines where those respondents lived, what offices they ran for, and how they did in their races. It also highlights several notable candidates who completed the survey, features the respondents who won their elections, and lists all of the 694 candidates who sent in answers.
The greatest number of respondents came from Colorado, with 62 candidates answering Ballotpedia's survey. Incumbents accounted for 5.0% of respondents, with challengers making up the remaining 95%. Candidates running for city offices were the largest group at 43.37% of all respondents, and 18.94% of city respondents won their election bids.
Survey statistics
By year
Respondents compared to total candidates
In 2018, there were 1,957 survey respondents out of 28,315 total candidates covered by Ballotpedia in that year, equaling a 6.9% completion rate. In 2021, 694 candidates responded to the survey out of 5,138 total candidates, equaling a 13.5% completion rate.
Even-year elections compared to odd-year elections
In the past two even-year election cycles, a majority of respondents ran for state offices: 63.3% in 2018 and 58.9% in 2020. By contrast, the 2021 election saw a majority of respondents (71.3%) running for local offices.
By state
Candidates from 36 states responded to Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection in 2021. Colorado had the most respondents with 62, followed by Texas at 61 respondents and New York at 60.
A table of respondents by state may be viewed by clicking [show] at the right. | |
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By office
A table of respondents by office may be viewed by clicking [show] at the right. | |
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Respondents within offices
A table of respondents within offices may be viewed by clicking [show] at the right. | |
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By election outcome
Out of the 694 candidates who completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey, 147 won and 525 lost their elections. A total of 22 respondents withdrew or were disqualified from their races.
Survey respondents
Notable respondents
The following four candidates completed the Candidate Connection survey in 2021. We have highlighted their stories, as well as their responses to one of the survey questions, as a small sampling of the 694 respondents. They are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Mike Carey
Ohio's 15th Congressional District Rep. Mike Carey (R) completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey during his run in the special election to the U.S. House.
Carey defeated 10 other Republicans in the August 3 primary. Ruth Edmonds and Omar Tarazi also completed the candidate connections survey before the Republican primary. Carey defeated Allison Russo (D) in the special general election with 58.3% of the vote.
When asked what areas of public policy he was personally passionate about, Carey answered:
| “ | Economy, and jobs - America First
Immigration - Finish the wall Education - stop anti-American curriculum Election Integrity American energy independence Defending the 2nd Amendment Pro-Life[1] |
” |
| —Mike Carey[2] | ||
Angela Moore
Georgia House of Representatives member Angela Moore (D) completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey during the 2021 run to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Pam Stephenson (D). Moore advanced from the special Democratic primary and defeated Stan Watson in the primary runoff election with 59% of the vote.
When asked what areas of public policy she was personally passionate about, Moore answered:
| “ | Education/Homelessness/ Home Ownership/ Healthcare/Economic Development and the Resuscitation of Georgia Businesses' Responsibility/Ethics & Transparency in Government[1] | ” |
| —Angela Moore[3] | ||
Michelle Wu
Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu (D) completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey during her run in the Boston mayoral election. Wu defeated Annissa Essaibi George in the November 2, 2021, general election with 61.1% of the vote. When asked what areas of public policy she was personally passionate about, Wu answered:
| “ | Keeping families in Boston. Our city has seen a population boom, but the number of kids in Boston has actually fallen because families are being displaced. Making Boston the most family-friendly city in the country requires bold action to break down silos and deliver more on affordable housing, world-class education and childcare for all, and accessible transportation.
Closing the racial wealth gap. Boston is one of the most unequal cities in the country, but we have the resources to tackle disparities in home ownership, business ownership, and educational access as the foundation for creating generational wealth in BIPOC communities. Delivering on a Boston Green New Deal. Boston should set the tone for all cities on securing our future through climate justice as racial and economic justice. Our plan centers environmental justice communities in democratizing decision-making, transforming our infrastructure, delivering public health, and creating good jobs in the green economy.[1] |
” |
| —Michelle Wu[4] | ||
Glenn Youngkin
Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin (R) completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey during his campaign. Youngkin defeated six other candidates in the Republican convention. He won the general election with 50.6% of the vote against a former governor, Terry McAuliffe (D).
When asked what areas of public policy he was personally passionate about, Youngkin answered:
| “ | I’m running for governor because I believe we must rebuild Virginia’s future and make it the best place in America to live, work, and raise a family. Rebuilding Virginia begins by building a rip-roaring economy that lowers the cost of living for all Virginians. I am a conservative who believes that the best government is one that stays out of people’s everyday lives as much as possible. I’m committed to not raising taxes, removing regulatory burdens for small businesses, making sure that our children have the best, most affordable education possible, and that our Constitutional rights are protected.[1] | ” |
| —Glenn Youngkin[5] | ||
List of winners
The following spreadsheet has a full list of 2021 election winners who completed the Candidate Connection survey. Click on the spreadsheet and use arrow keys to scroll vertically and horizontally through the list.
List of all respondents
The following spreadsheet has a full list of 2021 candidates who completed the Candidate Connection survey. Click on the spreadsheet and use arrow keys to scroll vertically and horizontally through the list.
About the survey
- See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ballotpedia surveyed candidates at the federal, state, and local levels in 2021 to find out what motivated them on political and personal levels. These surveys did not contain simple issue questions. They were designed to elicit insightful and thoughtful responses from candidates on what they cared about, what they stood for, and what they hoped to achieve. With these surveys, we aimed to both enlighten voters on the core components of candidates' political philosophy and provide candidates with the chance to show who they really were as people.
See also
- Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection report
- Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection report
- Ballotpedia's 2018 Candidate Connection report
- Candidate survey
- Newsletters
- Contact us
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Mike Carey’s responses," June 3, 2021
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Angela Moore’ responses," January 9, 2021
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Michelle Wu’ responses," August 27, 2021
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Glenn Youngkin’ responses," February 26, 2021