Front-loading affects the selection of a nominee by:
a. making the selection of senators as party nominees much more likely than the selection of governors
b. hurting incumbent presidents who cannot contest their party’s primaries as easily as challengers
c. making the performance of candidates at conventions all the more important
d. making success in earlier primaries all the more important in gaining and keeping momentum
e. making money less important in early contests as long as the candidate gets in front of other borrowers for the later primaries

Front-loading affects the selection of a nominee by making success in earlier primaries all the more important in gaining and keeping momentum.

Option: (d)

Explanation:

Front-loading is basically a resolution to pass the primary date to the beginning of the presidential nomination season. State party leaders have moved their initial dates to the front so that their supporters may have more influence in the selection process. Over time, more and more primaries have been moved to the front, creating nomination periods with more and more members awarded in multi-state primaries. An outcome of front-loading is a 'front-loaded nomination season'.   The similar front-loading of primaries and gatherings stayed during the 1990s, prompting Iowa and New Hampshire to program their contests even earlier, in January, and causing the Democratic Party to embrace rules to defend the vested status of the two states.