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.