Changing Federal Deputy Campaigns

This chapter explores how congressional campaigning changed for PRI candidates from the hegemonic to democratic era. Under hegemonic conditions, PRI candidates had huge resource advantages, and enjoyed the benefits of weak opposition parties and strong party identification. Under these circumstances, one should expect that the candidates for the hegemonic party would campaign as little as possible: that is, they would shirk. However, the agents sent down from the national party headquarters monitored their campaigning performance and obligated them to remake and strengthen the ties between local leaders and the national party. Once competition drove up uncertainty, PRI congressional candidates worked hard to win their election even though they could not hope for a second term. Despite their resource restraints, they campaign actively, while the national party headquarters has taken over national media appeals and strategies on programmatic promises. Governors were and continue to be important components in congressional campaigns, as they are able to support their co-partisan candidates.