Political Experience and the Success of Female Gubernatorial Candidates

Abstract

This research examines the effect that political experience has on the success of female gubernatorial candidates by analyzing the female vs. male gubernatorial elections from 1976-2014. The study questions whether prior statewide political office experience is advantageous for female candidates and is this consistent across party lines. This research builds on the political pipeline theory, which suggests that the shortage of women holding higher level political office, such as governor, is due to the lack of qualified and motivated women running for political office. We argue that women who hold lower level statewide office develop the necessary experience and name recognition that provides them with the qualifications and motivation, both within themselves and from other sources such as political parties, to run for and win the office of governor. Our findings suggest that statewide office experience is important for the success of Democratic women gubernatorial candidates but not for Republican women gubernatorial candidates.

When Push Comes to Shove: An Experimental Analysis of Voter Support of a Woman President and the 2024 Nomination

“…Holding public office, particularly in lower levels of government, is often considered an important precursor for one’s candidacy for higher public office. Although their research focuses on gubernatorial rather than presidential candidates, O’Regan and Stambough’s (2016) findings suggest that experience in lower levels of political office is more important for Democratic women candidates and that the Republican Party is less likely to have developed a pipeline for women gubernatorial candidates. While experience may be helpful for Democratic women candidates at the gubernatorial level, a growing body of research has investigated barriers, like sexism, faced by women candidates for higher levels of political office (e.g., Cassese & Holman, 2019; Heldman et al, 2018; Spencer, 2021).…”

“…There are a variety of reasons why women do not run for office but, in general, women are disadvantaged in three key areas: political ambition, role models, and professional experience. With a focus on supplying viable women candidates to voters for consideration, political pipeline theory asserts that a woman’s professional experience in lower public office will better position her as a candidate for higher public office, particularly if she holds “high-prestige, ‘masculine’ posts, such as minister of justice or attorney general” (Mariani, 2008; O’Regan & Stambough, 2016; Wiltse & Hager, 2021, p. 206). Although women confront barriers at each step in the pipeline, the first barrier to descriptive representation is getting women to enter the pipeline at all.…”