Economic incentives play a key role in the decision to run for office, but little is known on how they shape immigrants’ self-selection into candidacy. We study this question using a two-period Roy model, and show that if returns to labour market experience differ between migrants and natives, then this will affect the relative likelihood to run for office for the two groups. We assess this prediction empirically using administrative data from Norway, a country with a very liberal regime for participation in local elections. Our results strongly support our theoretical model and indicate that immigrants’ political and economic integration are closely intertwined.

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