Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection report
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2020 statistics |
Survey respondents About the survey |
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For the third 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 4,745 candidates responded to the survey. This number represents 16.4% of the 29,002 candidates Ballotpedia covered in 2020—a 6.0 percentage point increase over 2019 when 10.4% of candidates responded to the survey.
This 2020 report further compares 2020 respondents to 2019 and 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 4,745 candidates who sent in answers.
The greatest number of respondents came from Texas, with 391 candidates answering Ballotpedia's survey. Incumbents accounted for 5.5% of respondents, with challengers making up the remaining 94.5%. Candidates running for state legislative offices were the largest group at 54.0% of all respondents, and 15.7% of 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 2020, 4,745 candidates responded to the survey out of 29,002 total candidates, equaling a 16.4% completion rate. This equates to a 9.5 percentage point increase in the candidate completion rate from 2018 to 2020.
Even-year elections compared to odd-year elections
Comparing survey respondents from 2018 and 2020 to respondents from 2019 serves to illustrate the different offices up for election during even-year election cycles versus odd-year election cycles. 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 2019 election saw a majority of respondents (66.2%) running for local offices. In both the 2018 and 2020 election cycles, local offices comprised the smallest group of respondents, with 15.1% and 13.7%, respectively. The smallest group in 2019 was seeking federal offices, with only 0.6% of respondents.
By state
Candidates from all 50 states and the District of Columbia responded to Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection in 2020. Texas had the most respondents with 391, followed by California at 375 respondents and Michigan at 225.
A table of respondents by state may be viewed by clicking [show] at the right. | |
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By office
Over half of the respondents (54.0%) ran for a state legislative office. Those running for Congress were the second-largest group (27.1%), followed by candidates running for state executive seats (3.8%).
A table of respondents by office may be viewed by clicking [show] at the right. | |
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Respondents within offices
The 2020 election cycle saw the highest percentage of respondents in its three years, with 16.4% of all candidates submitting answers to the Candidate Connection survey. The highest completion rate was from congressional candidates, with 32.9% of all candidates completing the survey, followed by 20.6% of state executive candidates, and 17.4% of state legislative candidates.
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 4,745 candidates who completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey, 743 won and 3,763 lost their elections. A total of 237 respondents withdrew or were disqualified from their races. As of publishing, two races remained undecided.
Survey respondents
Notable respondents
The following six candidates completed the Candidate Connection survey in 2020. We have highlighted their stories, as well as their responses to one of the survey questions, as a small sampling of the 4,745 respondents. They are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Kat Cammack
Florida U.S. Representative Kat Cammack (R) completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey during her first bid for Florida's 3rd Congressional District in 2020. Cammack advanced from the Republican primary on August 18, 2020. She won the general election on November 3, 2020, with 57.1% of the vote, beating Democratic candidate Adam Christensen. Cammack was a first-time candidate.
When asked if there was a particular representative, past or present, whom she wanted to model herself after, Cammack answered:
| “ | I would look to continue and build upon much of the great work Representative Ted Yoho has done for our district. As his former longtime deputy chief of staff and campaign manager, I had the opportunity to learn from and work alongside Representative Yoho for many years. During his time in Congress, Ted served FL-03 incredibly well and I couldn't think of a better public servant to model myself after if I am given the honor to also represent our District in Washington.[1] | ” |
| —Rep. Kat Cammack (2020)[2] | ||
Jo Jorgensen
Presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen (L) completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey during her 2020 bid. She was nominated at the Libertarian National Convention on May 23, 2020, becoming the first woman to lead the party's presidential ticket. Jorgensen received 1.2% of the national vote.
When asked what the first action she would take as president of the United States was, Jorgensen answered:
| “ | On Day One of a Jorgensen administration, I will pardon all 80,000 non-violent people imprisoned on federal drug charges. The War on Drugs has been a disaster, and has been used to target the poor and people of color, and to ruin lives that could have been salvaged. Neither Republicans or Democrats have the courage to change the status-quo. I will also use my pardon power to free whistleblowers who risked their liberty to expose corruption and abuse by government agencies. We can protect our communities without sacrificing freedom through failed initiatives like civil asset forfeiture, no-knock raids, qualified immunity, mass surveillance, and the War on Drugs. The land of the free will no longer lead the world in incarceration.[1] | ” |
| —Jo Jorgensen (2020)[3] | ||
Farrah Khan
Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey during her bid to become mayor of Irvine, California, in 2020. Though she holds a nonpartisan office, she has identified herself as a Democrat.[4] Khan defeated incumbent Christina Shea and two other candidates with 47.6% of the vote in the general election on November 3, 2020. Khan served on the Irvine City Council before her election as mayor.
When asked what qualities she possessed that she believed would make her a successful officeholder, Khan answered:
| “ | I have always found dialogue and open communication to be one of the most powerful tools in public office. With these tools, one can bring people together, build bridges and uplift communities. It is important to know that the seat you hold is representing the hundreds of thousands of people who have expectations of you to be their representative, their voice.[1] | ” |
| —Mayor Farrah Khan (2020)[5] | ||
Paul Martin Newby
Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Paul Martin Newby (R) completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey during his bid to become Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2020. Newby previously served as an associate justice in the court beginning in 2005. He defeated Chief Justice Cheri Beasley (D) by 401 votes—a margin of victory of 0.004 percentage points—flipping the seat.
When asked if there were any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that he believed more people should be aware of, Newby answered:
| “ | The NC Chief Justice is the first among equals of the seven member NC Supreme Court. In that role, the Chief Justice has additional administrative responsibilities but also decides cases and writes opinions just like the other six justices. The Chief Justice also serves as the leader of the Judicial Branch which is comprised of about 6500 people across NC. Many who compose the Judicial Branch are independent constitutional officers, including judges and clerks. Thus the role of Chief Justice is to inspire members of the branch to ensure that every person who interacts with the judicial system receives equal justice under the law. The Chief Justice must lead the Judicial Branch in fulfilling the promise of the NC Constitution that "justice shall be administered without favor, denial, or delay. Art. 1, Sec. 18[1] | ” |
| —Justice Paul Martin Newby (2020)[6] | ||
Jon Ossoff
Georgia U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D) completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey during his bid to become a U.S. Senator in 2020. Ossoff faced incumbent David Perdue (R) in the general runoff election on January 5, 2021, after no candidate received a majority of the vote on November 3. He won the election with 50.6% of the vote, flipping the seat.
When asked what areas of public policy he was personally passionate about, Ossoff answered:
| “ | I am passionate about delivering a historic infrastructure & clean energy package to create millions of new, good-paying jobs & make the U.S. the world leader in renewable energy and sustainability. I'll push for big, overdue investments in transportation & transit, clean energy, energy efficiency, public health, communications, research & development, emergency response, & environmental cleanup. These investments will create job training & employment opportunities for millions of American workers & demand for products made by American businesses. They will revitalize our economy & lay the foundations for decades of prosperity, environmental sustainability, & health. Upgraded infrastructure will make life safer & more convenient, support commerce, attract investment, protect our environment, & improve our health. Money spent on infrastructure is truly an investment in America with positive returns across the economy & dramatic improvements to our quality of life.[1] | ” |
| —Sen. Jon Ossoff (2020)[7] | ||
Gary Peters
Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D) completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey during his bid for re-election in 2020. He faced six challengers and won the election with 49.9% of the vote, a margin of victory of 1.7 percentage points. Peters previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Michigan State Senate.
When asked what characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official, Peters answered:
| “ | My father served in World War II and was a public school teacher here in Michigan for decades. My mom was a nurse's aide and union steward. They instilled in me the importance of service, determination, fairness and integrity. And those values are what I carry with me as I fight for Michiganders - to solve problems, work across the aisle and get things done. Those values are critical to finding common sense, practical and bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing Michigan and our nation. As someone with a background in business, the military and local government, and as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I've always worked with people of varying backgrounds and know how important it is to put politics and partisanship aside to do what's right and deliver results.[1] | ” |
| —Sen. Gary Peters (2020)[8] | ||
List of winners
The following spreadsheet has a full list of 2020 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 2020 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 2020 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 2019 Candidate Connection report
- Ballotpedia's 2018 Candidate Connection report
- Candidate survey
- Newsletters
- Contact us
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Kat Cammack's responses," April 24, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Jo Jorgensen's responses," October 10, 2020
- ↑ Orange Juice Blog, "DPOC Proposed Endorsements Come Out before Monday Vote - Mostly Decent, with Some Puzzling Disappointments," August 21, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Farrah Khan's responses," September 22, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Paul Martin Newby's responses," October 17, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Jon Ossoff's responses," September 19, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Gary Peters' responses," August 2, 2020
