Writing:List of candidates in a state legislative election overview article

How to write overview articles about state legislative elections
Starting the article
Introduction • What's at stake?
Campaign finance
Qualifications
List of candidates
Party colors
Election results
Impact of term limits
"See also" • External links
Library of tutorials
How to write candidate profiles
Writing about legislatures
State legislative project

This page is a content-and-style guide about how to write the "List of candidates" section of a state legislative election overview article.

Generally, you will not create this section of the article until the signature-filing deadline has elapsed in a particular state.

• The section should be labeled "List of candidates".
• This section should then include subsections labeled by the name of the relevant district. (Here's an example.)
• Under each district heading, you should:

• List all candidates who filed for that seat, including minor party and independent candidates.
• Wiki-link to the name of the incumbent, if the incumbent is a candidate. You will probably want to have a tab open to Ballotpedia's template that lists the incumbents for the particular chamber.
• Use "R" and "D", etc., to identify the partisan affiliation of candidates.

• Here is an example.

On this page you will find sample templates that can be copy and pasted when starting a list of candidates.

Partisan affiliations

List of political parties in the United States

 : American Independent Party
 : Alaskan Independence Party
 : Bull Moose Party
 : Conservative Party
 : Constitution Party
 : Democratic Party
 : Green Party
 : Happiness Party
 : Independence Party
 : Independent (No party affiliation)
 : Independent American Party
 : Libertarian Party
 : Lower Taxes Party
 : Moderate Party
 : Mountain Party
 : Peace and Freedom Party
 : Progressive Democratic Party
 : Progressive Party (Vermont)
 : Reform Party
 : Republican Party
 : Senior Side Party
 : Tea Party
 : Working Families Party

Calculations

After you review the list of those running for office, calculate how many incumbents are running for re-election and include a summary statement about that in your introduction.

Research skill

• To complete this section, you'll need to be able to find official candidate lists on state election websites.

Incumbent templates

State senators

{{Alabama State Senators}} {{Alaska State Senators}} {{Arizona State Senators}} {{Arkansas State Senators}} {{California State Senators}} {{Colorado State Senators}} {{Connecticut State Senators}} {{Delaware State Senators}} {{Florida State Senators}} {{Georgia State Senators}}

{{Hawaii State Senators}} {{Idaho State Senators}} {{Illinois State Senators}} {{Indiana State Senators}} {{Iowa State Senators}} {{Kansas State Senators}} {{Kentucky State Senators}} {{Louisiana State Senators}} {{Massachusetts State Senators}} {{Maine State Senators}}

{{Michigan State Senators}} {{Minnesota State Senators}} {{Maryland State Senators}} {{Mississippi State Senators}} {{Missouri State Senators}} {{Montana State Senators}} {{North Carolina State Senators}} {{North Dakota State Senators}} {{Nebraska State Senators}} {{Nevada State Senators}}

{{New Hampshire State Senators}} {{New Jersey State Senators}} {{New Mexico State Senators}} {{New York State Senators}} {{Ohio State Senators}} {{Oklahoma State Senators}} {{Oregon State Senators}} {{Pennsylvania State Senators}} {{Rhode Island State Senators}} {{South Carolina State Senators}}

{{South Dakota State Senators}} {{Tennessee State Senators}} {{Texas State Senators}} {{Utah State Senators}} {{Virginia State Senators}} {{Vermont State Senators}} {{Washington State Senators}} {{West Virginia State Senators}} {{Wisconsin State Senators}} {{Wyoming State Senators}}

State reps

{{Alabama House of Representatives}} {{Alaska House of Representatives}} {{Arizona House of Representatives}} {{Arkansas House of Representatives}} {{California State Assembly}} {{Colorado House of Representatives}} {{Connecticut House of Representatives}} {{Delaware House of Representatives}} {{Florida House of Representatives}} {{Georgia House of Representatives}}

{{Hawaii House of Representatives}} {{Idaho House of Representatives}} {{Illinois House of Representatives}} {{Indiana House of Representatives}} {{Iowa House of Representatives}} {{Kansas House of Representatives}} {{Kentucky House of Representatives}} {{Louisiana House of Representatives}} {{Maine House of Representatives}} {{Maryland House of Delegates}}

{{Massachusetts House of Representatives}} {{Michigan House of Representatives}} {{Minnesota House of Representatives}} {{Mississippi House of Representatives}} {{Missouri House of Representatives}} {{Montana House of Representatives}} {{Nevada Assembly}} {{New Hampshire House of Representatives}} {{New Jersey General Assembly}} {{New Mexico House of Representatives}}

{{New York Assembly}} {{North Carolina House of Representatives}} {{North Dakota House of Representatives}} {{Ohio House of Representatives}} {{Oklahoma House of Representatives}} {{Oregon House of Representatives}} {{Pennsylvania House of Representatives}} {{Rhode Island House of Representatives}} {{South Carolina House of Representatives}} {{South Dakota House of Representatives}}

{{Tennessee House of Representatives}} {{Texas House of Representatives}} {{Utah House of Representatives}} {{Vermont House of Representatives}} {{Virginia House of Delegates}} {{Washington House of Representatives}} {{West Virginia House of Delegates}} {{Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{Wyoming House of Representatives}}

See also

• How to write state legislative election overview articles

External links

• Progress tracking document for state legislative election overview articles