FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2011
CONTACT:
Alison Cashin
Barbara Lee Family Foundation
o: 617.234.0355
c: 617.902.8102
e: acashin@blff.org
New Research Shows Gains for Women Candidates
Women see more level playing field, strategic advantages in 2010 gubernatorial campaigns
CAMBRIDGE, MA – In the midst of a national conversation about gender and politics, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation (BLFF) today released new research showing gains for women candidates in 2010. Turning Point: The Changing Landscape for Women Candidates shows how 2010 was a turning point in BLFF’s 12 years of non-partisan research on women’s campaigns for governor.
“Women candidates in 2010 ran on a more level playing field than in past years,” said BLFF founder and president Barbara Lee. “Women still faced barriers, but they also showed distinct advantages over their male competitors. Now more than ever, gender may be a strategic asset in women’s campaigns for executive office.”
KEY FINDINGS
Candidate traits
2010 was one of the most partisan elections in recent history, and party identification drove most voter decisions. After partisanship, likeability has become the single most important predictor of votes for women. Gender-neutral traits such as problem-solving, having the right priorities, and showing strength now also strongly predict votes for women. In past election cycles, voters sought candidate traits that favored men, such as toughness.
Women and the economy
Another key development in voter perceptions of women candidates was on the economy. Voters now judge men and women equally on measures of economic competence, an area where women candidates historically have been at a disadvantage.
“Credibility on the economy was critical for any candidate in 2010,” said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, a Democratic polling firm and BLFF research partner based in Washington, DC. “Women candidates in 2010 increased their credibility on economic issues. Over time during our 12 years of research, women have become more competitive on the economy.”
Honesty and ethics
Voters continue to give women overall an advantage on honesty and ethics. Democratic women running against Republican men had this honesty and ethics advantage in 2010. Republican women running against Democratic men actually trailed on this trait.
Gender disadvantages
Women continue to face barriers in their campaigns. Voters penalize women more than men when they believe they are engaged in negative campaigning, which they see as an indication that a woman is a “typical politician.” This eliminates any other gains she may have earned for being a woman candidate.
“Critiquing an opponent’s record, priorities, or decisions without being seen as negative is an extraordinary challenge for women candidates and their campaign teams,” said Mary Hughes, president of Hughes & Company, a California-based Democratic research firm and BLFF research partner. “But it remains a critical strategy to show the contrast between candidates.”
Young women voters
Women candidates can no longer count on greater support from younger women voters. This is a dramatic change from a decade ago, when research indicated that high turnout among young women was a strategy to combat high turnout among voters biased against women.
“Younger women are more likely to say they wanted to vote for women based on gender, but their actual behavior was the opposite,” said Bob Carpenter, vice president of American Viewpoint, a Republican polling firm and BLFF research partner. “In fact, baby boomer women were more supportive of women candidates all things considered than younger women for the third cycle in a row.”
Turning Point is the sixth volume in BLFF’s Governors Guidebook series. BLFF has partnered with Lake Research Partners, American Viewpoint, and Hughes & Company to study and published non-partisan research about every woman’s gubernatorial race since 1998. To view or download research publications visit www.barbaraleefoundation.org.
The Barbara Lee Family Foundation works to advance women’s equality and representation in American politics through political research, strategic partnerships, and grants and endowments. The foundation’s work is guided by its core belief that women’s voices strengthen our democracy and enrich our culture.
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New Research Shows Gains for Women Candidates
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2011
CONTACT:
Alison Cashin
Barbara Lee Family Foundation
o: 617.234.0355
c: 617.902.8102
e: acashin@blff.org
New Research Shows Gains for Women Candidates
Women see more level playing field, strategic advantages in 2010 gubernatorial campaigns
CAMBRIDGE, MA – In the midst of a national conversation about gender and politics, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation (BLFF) today released new research showing gains for women candidates in 2010. Turning Point: The Changing Landscape for Women Candidates shows how 2010 was a turning point in BLFF’s 12 years of non-partisan research on women’s campaigns for governor.
“Women candidates in 2010 ran on a more level playing field than in past years,” said BLFF founder and president Barbara Lee. “Women still faced barriers, but they also showed distinct advantages over their male competitors. Now more than ever, gender may be a strategic asset in women’s campaigns for executive office.”
KEY FINDINGS
Candidate traits
2010 was one of the most partisan elections in recent history, and party identification drove most voter decisions. After partisanship, likeability has become the single most important predictor of votes for women. Gender-neutral traits such as problem-solving, having the right priorities, and showing strength now also strongly predict votes for women. In past election cycles, voters sought candidate traits that favored men, such as toughness.
Women and the economy
Another key development in voter perceptions of women candidates was on the economy. Voters now judge men and women equally on measures of economic competence, an area where women candidates historically have been at a disadvantage.
“Credibility on the economy was critical for any candidate in 2010,” said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, a Democratic polling firm and BLFF research partner based in Washington, DC. “Women candidates in 2010 increased their credibility on economic issues. Over time during our 12 years of research, women have become more competitive on the economy.”
Honesty and ethics
Voters continue to give women overall an advantage on honesty and ethics. Democratic women running against Republican men had this honesty and ethics advantage in 2010. Republican women running against Democratic men actually trailed on this trait.
Gender disadvantages
Women continue to face barriers in their campaigns. Voters penalize women more than men when they believe they are engaged in negative campaigning, which they see as an indication that a woman is a “typical politician.” This eliminates any other gains she may have earned for being a woman candidate.
“Critiquing an opponent’s record, priorities, or decisions without being seen as negative is an extraordinary challenge for women candidates and their campaign teams,” said Mary Hughes, president of Hughes & Company, a California-based Democratic research firm and BLFF research partner. “But it remains a critical strategy to show the contrast between candidates.”
Young women voters
Women candidates can no longer count on greater support from younger women voters. This is a dramatic change from a decade ago, when research indicated that high turnout among young women was a strategy to combat high turnout among voters biased against women.
“Younger women are more likely to say they wanted to vote for women based on gender, but their actual behavior was the opposite,” said Bob Carpenter, vice president of American Viewpoint, a Republican polling firm and BLFF research partner. “In fact, baby boomer women were more supportive of women candidates all things considered than younger women for the third cycle in a row.”
Turning Point is the sixth volume in BLFF’s Governors Guidebook series. BLFF has partnered with Lake Research Partners, American Viewpoint, and Hughes & Company to study and published non-partisan research about every woman’s gubernatorial race since 1998. To view or download research publications visit www.barbaraleefoundation.org.
The Barbara Lee Family Foundation works to advance women’s equality and representation in American politics through political research, strategic partnerships, and grants and endowments. The foundation’s work is guided by its core belief that women’s voices strengthen our democracy and enrich our culture.
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