Jordan Windham

Biography

Jordan A. Windham is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in American Politics and affiliated with the Rooney Democracy Institute. Her research focuses on political institutions and parties, with a particular interest in how institutions shape political behavior, representation, and governance. Her M.A. thesis, The Political Consequences of Wyoming’s Primary Election Reforms for State-Level Governance, examines how variation in primary election systems shapes attitudes, legislative behavior, and electoral competition. Drawing on cross-state data, survey evidence, and a case study of Wyoming’s transition to a closed primary system, the project examines how electoral institutions structure political power both during and after elections.

Before coming to Notre Dame, Jordan earned her M.A. in Political Science from the University of Wyoming and her B.A. in Political Science, summa cum laude and as a University Honors Scholar, from Auburn University. She received the Simpson Outstanding Political Science Graduate Award in Spring 2026. Her broader research examines how political institutions structure the incentives of political actors and shape political behavior, with particular attention to the ways electoral and legislative institutions influence political parties, representation, and governance.

Areas of Interest

Institutions, Political Parties