---
title: "Candidate Traits: Washington Experience Viewed Less Positively"
description: "Just a quarter of Americans say they are more likely to support a presidential candidate who has been an elected official in Washington, D.C. for many years. This number has declined since 2007."
date: "2012-02-02"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2012/02/02/candidate-traits-washington-experience-viewed-less-positively/"
---

# Candidate Traits: Washington Experience Viewed Less Positively

The public expresses mixed views of presidential candidates who have extensive Washington, D.C. experience — 26% say they would be more likely to support such a candidate, while about as many (25%) say they would be less likely. This is a change from 2007, when 35% of people said they would be more likely to support a candidate who has spent a long time in Washington; 15% said they would be less likely. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2011/06/02/section-2-candidate-traits-and-experience/?src=prc-number)