Lincoln's Elizabeth Dorssom Publishes New Research on Congressional Elections

Lincoln University Assistant Professor of Political Science Elizabeth Dorssom is featured in a newly published book on U.S. congressional elections, co-authoring a chapter that analyzes how recent special elections offered insight into the 2024 general election.

The research by Elizabeth Dorssom, assistant professor of political science and program coordinator of the Master of Arts in Community and Economic Development program at Lincoln University, is featured in a newly published book examining U.S. congressional elections.

Dorssom’s chapter, titled “Congressional Special Elections: Prelude to the 2024 Elections,” is co-authored with Marcia L. Godwin of the University of La Verne. The chapter appears in the edited volume The Roads to Congress 2024: Navigating Elections in an Era of Upheaval.

The Roads to Congress 2024 brings together scholars from across the country to analyze the campaigns, candidates, issues and strategies that shaped control of the 119th Congress during a period of significant political change. According to the book’s description, the volume explores how recent elections have tested democratic norms and influenced the future direction of American politics.

Dorssom and Godwin examine congressional special elections held in 2023 and 2024, focusing on how vacancies create unique political opportunities for candidates and parties. Their analysis includes case studies of the special elections following the expulsion of Rep. George Santos of New York and the resignation of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California and assesses whether those races offered insight into the outcomes of the 2024 general election.