From Panel Debate Interruptions to Death Threats: Experiences of Violence among Municipal Candidates and their Consequences for Political Campaigns and Ambitions

Violence towards candidates at public elections inhibits their personal integrity and freedom of campaigning, thus potentially harming electoral democracy. This conclusion is documented widely and this paper sheds light on a Danish case. In a three step- analysis, we grasp the type and frequency of various types of violence as well as its consequences for how candidates campaign. First, an original survey of Danish municipal council candidates’ campaigns shows to what extent they have experienced various types of violence during the election campaign, and how these experiences impact their campaigns, in particular how their freedom of maneuver and freedom of speech, two essentials of campaigning, are inhibited by their violence experience. Second, an open survey question taps further into what candidates find to be the worst kinds of campaign violence they have experienced, hence, it allows us to assess ranges of severity. Third, candidates’ violence experiences and the consequences for their campaigns and also for their future political careers are further elaborated upon on the basis of qualitative interviews with candidates. In sum, candidates’ violence experience is skewed across gender, age, ethnicity and party belonging, and it has consequences for how candidates campaign and pursue a political career. These consequences of harassment can impact negatively on the single candidate, for politics more generally and for third parties witnessing politics.