SECOND IN COMMAND finds that most voters believe lieutenant governors are qualified to serve as governor—and that the office prepares women candidates to serve as governor. In that way, the path forward is clear.
Our research found that voters do not have strong opinions about lieutenant governors. This creates both an awareness obstacle, and an opportunity to define the role of lieutenant governor, for women in this position. The research provides an unprecedented look at how voters perceive women running for or serving as lieutenant governor. Key Findings: A […]
With more and more women running for office, races between women candidates will become the norm — not a novelty. Shared Hurdles reveals how candidates’ race, political party, and gender interact to influence voter opinion when more than one woman is on the ballot.
With more women than ever in elected office, more women are likely to face sexism on the campaign trail. Sexism in politics can take many forms, from double standards for women candidates, to undue criticisms of their appearance, voice, or clothing. The decisions of whether and how to address sexism can be complex to navigate for women candidates—involving questions about the candidate’s electability, how to deal with personal offense, and how to message about sexist incidents.
While the current COVID-19 pandemic underscores its importance, proving they can handle a crisis has consistently been important for women candidates and will continue to be so in the years to come.