Research

Dissertation

Since the start of Mexico’s drug war in 2006, thousands have been killed by Organized Criminal Groups. Part of this violence is the rise of criminal-electoral violence— election violence by criminal organizations to manipulate the electoral outcome— which threatens democratic institutions and electoral systems. However, little research has looked at its consequences on the electoral system throughout the whole election arch and its impact on women and men differently. My project aims to address these gaps by reviewing criminal-electoral violence’s impact at each stage (candidate selection, the campaign, and post-election) and how gender shapes this experience so we can better understand the dynamics of criminal violence and what it means for the health of democratic institutions and elections. First, I explore how criminal-electoral violence influences who political parties select to run as candidates in Mexico and its impact on women candidates. Then, I break down how criminal organizations may change their behavior depending on the gender of a candidate they are trying to target. The final paper examines how gender differences among mayors may influence the level of criminal violence and perceptions of security in their communities. Ultimately, by addressing the impact of criminal-electoral violence on women participating in politics and the whole arch of the electoral process, my project contributes to a more thorough understanding of the consequences of criminal violence and its impact on the health and stability of democratic institutions and electoral systems. My dissertation is part of a broader research agenda that explores the intersections of gender, violence, and crime, with a strong emphasis on the use of advanced statistical methods.

Chair: Lauren Young (Associate Professor, UCD)

Committee Members: Sandra Ley (Distinguished Professor, ITESM), Juan Tellez (Associate Professor, UCD), and Hanno Hilbig (Assistant Professor, UCD)

Publications

Daarstad, Haley, RyuGyung Park, and Timea Balogh. 2023. A Comment on Herzog, Baron, and Gibbons (2022). I4R Discussion Paper Series No. 97. Institute for Replication. LINK

Under Review

Daarstad, Haley and Christopher Stout. 2025. The Virtuous Cycle: Female Political Incorporation and Media Coverage of Female Presidential Candidates in the United States. Draft Available Upon Request

Working Papers

Baron, H., Daarstad, H., Ley, S., Young, L. Crime deterrent or downward spiral? Longitudinal evidence on the effects of lynchings on crime from Mexico, 2009‑2022. Draft Available Upon Request

Forrester, D., Daarstad, H., Joseph, A. Too Manly for Peace? Masculine Overcompensation and Support for Peace in Colombia. Draft Available Upon Request

Daarstad, H. The Effects of Criminal Violence on Candidate Selection. Draft Available Upon Request

Daarstad, H. Gender Differences in Leadership and Criminal Violence. Draft Available Upon Request

Daarstad, H. Gender Differences and High Profile Criminal Violence.

Conferences

American Political Science Association, 2025

European Political Science Association, 2025

Midwestern Political Science Association, 2023, 2024

Western Political Science Association, 2021, 2023

Upcoming: Latin American Studies Association, Paris, France, 2026