Which term best describes the organized effort to gain support for a party's candidates?

The organized effort to gain support for a party's candidates is best described as campaigning. Campaigning encompasses a variety of activities designed to promote candidates and their platforms to the electorate. This includes everything from canvassing neighborhoods, organizing rallies, using advertisements, and engaging with voters through social media. Campaigns are essential to the electoral process, as they aim to inform the public about the candidates' positions and persuade them to vote for those candidates.

While electioneering is often closely related to campaigning, it typically refers more specifically to the direct activities that influence the outcome of elections, such as getting people to vote or managing the operations of the polls. Fundraising is a key component of campaigning but focuses primarily on raising money to support campaign activities rather than the broad effort of winning votes. Lobbying involves advocating for specific policies or interests to lawmakers and is not primarily aimed at supporting candidates in elections. Thus, "campaigning" accurately captures the essence of gaining support for candidates in an organized manner.