The paper investigates some of the main political consequences of the regional top candidate selection methods in Spain. For that purpose, it revisits some assumptions made by the theory on candidate selection methods at the national level and suggests taking into account the combined influence of both the inclusiveness and the decentralization dimensions. The paper examines the candidate selection rules and profiles of the three main state-wide Spanish parties (PP, PSOE, IU) and candidates during the last two decades. The results show small differences between candidate selection methods and the main socio-demographic characteristics of the regional top candidates. However, the selectorate (that is, the primaries) does seem to have a stronger impact on their career and seniority.