Collection
The Electability Myth
Through rigorous vetting and campaigning, political candidates need to convince the electorate they can actually win the offices they’re aiming to capture. For women, the term “electability” has taken on a different meaning — and often cloaks long-held sexist views toward women and their ability to lead.
In This Collection
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‘Putting our children first’: How gun safety as a nonpartisan issue helped local candidates win
More than 300 Moms Demand Action volunteers ran for office and won, and more than 200 of them were in state and local office, including school boards.
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‘One of our own’: How Harris is leaning into the power of Black sororities
The vice president's speech in front of Zeta Phi Beta was just one of nearly a dozen engagements she has held with the Divine Nine since taking office.
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Like Beyoncé, Kamala Harris is having her renaissance
The vice president’s evolution over the past three and a half years can be summarized as a playlist from the once-in-a-generation entertainer.
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Racist, misogynist online disinformation is already being used against Kamala Harris' campaign
"They’re not trolling her just to troll her. There’s a broader effort at play that is connected to undermining women’s participation in democracy and women holding office.”
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How many of your state’s lawmakers are women? If you live in the Southeast, it could be just 1 in 5
A record number of women were elected to statehouses last year. But in the Southeast, representation is lagging as lawmakers pass bills like near-total abortion bans.
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Mayra Flores’ victory set a record for women in Congress. It also reflects the growing visibility of Republican Latinas
The rapid gains Republican women have made since 2018 could be a signal for how the party fares in this year’s midterms
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Stepping in after tragedy: How political wives became widow lawmakers
Since the early 20th century, women have filled seats in Congress left vacant by the death of their partners. If Jennifer Carnahan in Minnesota wins her race this week, she could be the 49th.
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Do term limits help women candidates? New York could be a new testing ground
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her support last week for term limits for statewide offices, including her job. Some political organizers and academic experts see a potential ripple effect.
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Girls are being socialized to lose political ambition — and it starts younger than we realized
New research shows that as girls age, they’re conditioned to lose interest and ambition in politics. The opposite happens for boys.
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Kathy Hochul’s rise in New York spotlights the barriers to women becoming governors
"I want by the end of my administration, for every woman to say there are no barriers, there is no longer a ceiling."