Political Candidacy as a Spectrum: How Minorities Develop Political Ambition

How do racial minorities initially decide to enter politics, and how do their motives to advance through the pipeline to power evolve over time? While the initial political entry decision is crucial for understanding minority under-representation, the existing literature primarily examines minority candidates at the time of the election, focusing on the strategic entry decision to appear on a ballot. This paper broadens the focus on candidate emergence and investigates minorities' decisions to run for office in each stage of the candidate emergence process, from the initial interest to officially becoming candidates. I present results from three empirical analyses. In two field experiments embedded in a real-world candidate mobilization effort, I find that emphasizing racial group consciousness---the desire to advance the interests of one's racial group---increases not only the immediate information-seeking behavior but also a longer-term commitment to candidacy among less politically ambitious minorities. A conjoint experiment of politically ambitious minorities suggests a shift in office-seeking behavior from intrinsic to strategic, as they begin to prioritize electoral settings that maximize their chances of winning. An observational study leveraging city-level exposure to police brutalities as a proxy for intrinsic motivation finds modest evidence of increased Black representation in subsequent local elections. This research offers new insights into the nuanced dynamics of minority candidate emergence and, in turn, minority representation in the United States.