It is important to celebrate the gains in women’s representation in candidate pools and among nominees. But these data reveal that women remain underrepresented at each stage of the electoral process and across parties.
Author: Kelly Dittmar
Kelly Dittmar is an assistant professor of political science at Rutgers University and a scholar at the Center for American Women in Politics.
Find her on Twitter @kdittmar.
Comparing the Feminist Electoral Victories of 2018 and 2020
Much of the attention to gender and the 2020 election has been focused on the Democratic presidential primary. But more than 500 offices at the congressional and statewide level (and many more in state legislative contests) are also up for election this year, providing multiple sites for us to evaluate the numerical presence and progress for women, and the different ways in which gender shapes campaign terrain for all candidates.
Kamala Harris’ Liability Was Not Electability
Harris’ electability as a Black woman was not the problem that sank her 2020 race. Instead, doubts of that electability—whether from voters, donors, media or political elites—were an added burden to her campaign.
What We Learned in 2018—and What it Means for 2020
The 2018 election delivered key points of progress that will shape the terrain that candidates are navigating in 2020 and beyond, and it left those of us committed to more equitable political institutions with a reminder that we have unfinished business left to address.
We Still Have a Lot of Scaling Up to Do
In the 116th Congress, women will hold at least 23.4 percent of all seats, up from 20 percent in 2018. That isn’t enough.
Gender Watch Hot Takes: 25 Feminist Experts React to the 2018 Election Results
We asked experts on gender, race and politics to weigh in on the 2018 election results, sharing their reactions to what happened and insights and analyses from research, practice and personal sentiments.
Will Misogyny Disqualify Men from Political Power in 2018?
While allegations of inappropriate behavior and inaction to punish it have forced resignations and derailed campaigns in the past 18 months, voters’ intolerance for misogynist behavior and beliefs is far from universal.
Running as Women or Men? How Candidates are Expanding and Enforcing Gender Norms
The diversity of approaches by women and men in this year’s elections all inevitably expand or enforce notions of masculinity and femininity—and what are deemed appropriate credentials for officeholding.
How Will Male Candidates Shape the Gender Politics of the 2018 Elections?
Male candidates’ strategic and tactical decisions in this year’s election—just like women’s—will either replicate or disrupt prevailing norms of gender in society and on the campaign trail. What choices will they make?
A Different Measure of Success: We All Win When Women Run
Win or lose, the women running for office this year have the power to disrupt norms of both gender and candidacy—and that’s a victory for all of us.