Final answer:
Open seat races are more competitive as they lack an incumbent, allowing a greater number of candidates to run and resulting in increased competition. The absence of an incumbent's advantages, such as high reelection rates, encourages a diverse pool of candidates to enter the race, thus making the statement that open seat races tend to be competitive true.
Step-by-step explanation:
Open seat races tend to be more competitive because they do not have an incumbent running for reelection. Incumbents usually have a higher chance of winning due to factors such as name recognition, a record of constituency service, and typically greater access to campaign finance. However, when the incumbent retires, it creates an open seat, increasing the likelihood that more candidates will run, thus intensifying the competitiveness.
This competitiveness is heightened in open seats as there is no incumbent who holds the advantages that contribute to the high reelection rates, such as those observed in the U.S. Congress in 2014, with 95 percent of representatives and 82 percent of senators being reelected. In these scenarios, candidates are more likely to face substantial opposition from qualified opponents seeking public service, as the seat appears more attainable than one with a sitting incumbent.
In summary, the absence of an incumbent leads to a broader discussion of policy issues and encourages the entry of quality candidates into the race. Therefore, the statement that open seat races tend to be competitive is true.