Demiralp, S.Paker, Evren Balta2023-03-272023-03-2720211360-8746http://hdl.handle.net/10679/8090https://doi.org/10.1080/13608746.2021.1923639How can populist competitive authoritarian regimes be defeated through elections? In this article, we focus on the 2019 municipal campaign strategy of the opposition Istanbul candidate Ekrem İmamoglu as a case study of a successful challenge to a populist competitive authoritarian regime. We argue that such regimes may be prone to defeat when their opponents use what we call an ‘inverted populist’ strategy. This strategy involves three key elements: adopting an indirect and gradualist approach that avoids direct confrontation with the populist leader and the popular values s/he represents, redefining the ‘the people’ by including previously excluded groups, and promising redistribution to disadvantaged groups.engrestrictedAccessarticle26112600065771710000110.1080/13608746.2021.1923639Competitive authoritarianismContestationDiscursive strategyElection strategyInverted populismLocal government electionsTurkeyUrban politics2-s2.0-85107510962