How people look running for office can be an important factor in their electoral success or failure

Abstract

Given the degree to which many people value physical attractiveness in society today, it may come as little surprise that voters’ decisions are often based to some degree on how candidate’s look. But to what extent is this the case? In new research, Rodrigo Praino finds that when a candidate runs against someone of the same gender, the most attractive candidate receives more votes, but when men and women run against one another, the candidate that looks the most competent is favored by voters