ELECTORAL LANDSLIDE? MORE LIKE ELECTORAL WILDFIRE: An Econometric Difference in Difference Analysis of Colorado Wildfires Impact on U.S. Congressional Elections

As environmental disasters continue to rise in number and severity across the globe, electoral systems present an outlet for voters to voice their frustration and pain. Many previous authors have explored the dynamic of disaster politics and come to different conclusions on a variety of topics. This difference-in-difference analysis uses an original panel data set to identify if Junkins Wildfire had an impact on partisan vote share percentages. The results from the analysis show that the Junkins Wildfire did not have a statistically significant impact of Democratic vote share percentage but in some cases the wildfire did have a statistically significant impact on Republican vote share percentages, suggesting that natural disaster events may impact voting outcomes.