As we near the 2022 American midterm elections, this virtual special issue features a number of articles published in Politics & Gender which offer useful perspectives for thinking about how gender shapes pathways to Congress and the distinct barriers women face while running for office. Together, they examine underlying mechanisms that affect our understanding of “when women run, they win” – as well as how stereotypes, voter biases and the interaction of gender and marginalized identities shape perceptions of candidates and representation.

Explore the underlying assumptions of “when women run they win,” Pearson & McGhee demonstrate that women are less likely to run for Congress generally. When they do run, however, they are often better qualified candidates compared to their male counterparts. Other scholars examine the role of contextual factors. Sanbonmatsu uncovers a gap between party elites’ perceptions and objective measures of women’s status as candidates, suggesting they are not aware that “when women run they win.” Dynes, Hassell, Miles, and Preece find that men and women with nascent political ambition have similar personality profiles, but men and women in office have diverging personality patterns. They attribute these differences to the gendered institutions of campaigns and elections, nuancing the view that “when women run they win.”

This election cycle, we are also seeing a historic number of women vs. women gubernatorial races and numerous women vs. women contests in Congress. Research by Palmer & Simon explore women vs. women races, finding considerable support that women incumbents have a “hidden influence.” Not only do they face increased competition but their presence increases the participation of women candidates in both their own and opposition parties.

Finally, women candidates face numerous voter biases and stereotypes that can constrain their candidacies. Madsen finds that highly credible women candidates are perceived as less persuasive and are more likely to be adversely affected if they are perceived as lacking in trustworthiness by voters. Hayes suggests, however, that party identification often overshadows gender stereotypes and that candidate assessments can be affected by news coverage when they are portrayed in ways that are incongruent with traditional partisan images. Montoya, Bejarano, Brown, & Gershon add an intersectional perspective, finding that a shared gender identity, particularly among racial outgroups, is not consistently associated with the belief that candidates would represent voters’ interests – signaling how multiple overlapping identities shape perceptions of candidates.

- Michelle Irving, Rutgers University, Politics & Gender graduate editorial assistant

Please enjoy free access to all articles below until the end of November 2022.

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