Quoted: David Canon, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said head-to-head races also provide more incentive for candidates to directly attack their opponents.
In an at-large race, candidates might hope voters will choose them alongside a variety of other candidates, so attacking other candidates could hurt their own odds.
“If you’re competing across all the candidates, it’s not as likely you’re going to be singling out one person for an attack; rather you’re more likely to be making a positive appeal to your voters about why you should vote for me,” Canon said.