Abstract
This article analyzes the factors and motivations that led various elected officials to sponsor candidates in the French presidential election. Based on a survey administered to all elected officials who were entitled to sponsor candidates in 2022, our results reveal that the reluctance to provide sponsorship of certain local elected officials – in particular the mayors of small cities – can be understood as a desire to distance themselves from partisan politics. While candidates endorsed by traditional parties collect sponsorships out of political loyalty, other candidates must expend significant efforts to persuade elected officials who are otherwise reluctant to show political support. Consequently, the campaign for sponsorships reveals the unequal resources that different candidates can mobilize.