When Women Run Women Win: Evidence from a Strong Party State

摘要: Women’s persistent under-representation in legislatures presents a theoretical and empirical puzzle. Evidence has pointed to parties as suspected villains by failing recruit or actively deterring women candidates, choose them caucus endorsements primaries, recruiting for unwinnable less favorable seats, help secure the money they need run. But most evidence been at national rather than state level. We analyze women’s electoral success Minnesota with particular focus on gender dynamics of Minnesota’s pre-primary party endorsement process regional partisan variation candidacies victory rates. test hypotheses that effects institutional rules, partisanship, region, fundraising differ men candidates systematic ways. conclude an analysis differences perceptions candidacies. rely new data set all legislature from 1997 2008, including general election primary who filed run but dropped out before their primary, along survey running 2006. Our results reveal underrepresentation is not result sex endorsements, competition, votes. do, however, find striking Democrats field nearly twice many Republicans, both are distinctly underrepresented rural areas Minnesota. findings overall success, confounded just we discovered also showing strong gap whether perceive playing be level this strong-party state.