Citizens’ candidates? Labour market experiences and radical right-wing candidates in the 2014 Swedish municipal elections

Abstract This article uses Swedish register data to study the labour market experiences of radical right-wing candidates standing in local elections. We look at different measures economic insecurity (labour participation trajectories, experience unemployment social networks and relative growth number jobs for foreign-born workers vis-a-vis natives) examine whether they are predictors running Sweden Democrats, main party Sweden, as opposed mainstream political parties. find that trajectories such markedly from those candidates. Those with turbulent or out-of-labour much more likely run other The same is also true embedded higher levels unemployment, while working a high-skilled industry lowers probability especially male low educational attainment. mixed results ethnic threat hypothesis.