Everitt, Joanna et al creator text Political Research Quarterly monographic eng

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78(4), Dec, 2025: p.1273-1285 Affinity theory suggests that 2SLGBTQI+ candidates might empower and motivate 2SLGBTQI+ voters to become more politically engaged because they demonstrate that the political system is open to queer participation and voices. However, most research has focused on high-profile 2SLGBTQI+ candidates. Little attention has been paid to the impact of local candidates, particularly in a multi-party parliamentary system. This paper explores this candidate–voter affinity by incorporating information about the 70 2SLGBTQI+ candidates who ran in the 2021 Canadian federal election into survey results of the 2021 Canadian Election Study (CES). Comparing responses of 2SLGBTQI+ voters in districts with 2SLGBTQI+ candidates to those of 2SLGBTQI+ voters who do not have such candidates to select enables us to demonstrate the impact of these affinities on voter turnout. Our results reveal positive affinities, meaning 2SLGBTQI+ individuals are indeed more likely to vote and their turnout is higher in the districts with 2SLGBTQI+ candidates.-Reproduced https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10659129251355606?_gl=1*1wu3s00*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjMzNjk2NTEzLjE3NzY 3NTE3ODE.*_ga_60R758KFDG*czE3NzY3NTE3ODAkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzY3NTE4MDQkajM2JGwwJGgyNTQ0NDIwNjg. Political Research Quarterly 260421