Name recognition

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Name recognition is a concept used in politics to describe number of people who are aware of a politician. It is considered an important factor in elections, as candidates with low name recognition are unlikely to receive votes from people who only casually follow politics. It also considered a major obstacle for challengers hoping to defeat incumbents. The fact that they are already in office, and have usually already won an election, gives incumbents an inherent name recognition advantage over most challengers.