May 14, 2024

Kelly Dittmar, our director of research at CAWP, just dropped an insightful analysis on the current state of women in the 2024 congressional elections. Here's a sneak peek:

• Major Findings: The number of women running for the U.S. House is down, with Republican women seeing the greatest decline. However, Democratic women's share of all candidacies remains steady.
• Unfortunate Records: A record high of 13 congresswomen, including both Democrats and Republicans, have announced they're not running for re-election to the U.S. House. 
• Inequity: Women's representation in the House candidate pool is still significantly lower than men's, especially among Republicans.
• Key Races to Watch: There are several House contests, including AZ-03, CA-12, CA-29, and TX-32, where non-incumbent women have strong prospects for success, potentially achieving significant milestones if elected.

Don't miss out on this comprehensive update as we navigate the road to November. The full blog post can be found here.

CAWP researchers Kira Sanbonmatsu and Shikshya Adhikari have delved deep into the fundraising data for congressional candidates in 10 critical states across the country: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington. Below are our newest findings:

• Men candidates running for U.S. House seats usually report a larger share of funds from self-financing than women. This points to a significant barrier to women’s political participation — party gatekeepers value self-financed candidates because they are less reliant on party resources.
• Women incumbent and challenger candidates running for the U.S. House usually raise more of their funds from small contributions than men candidates.
• Men candidates running for open seats for the U.S. House, however, are somewhat more likely than women to raise more of their funds from small contributions. Though there are significantly fewer open-seat races than incumbent vs. challenger contests.

In addition, we have expanded phase one of the project, The State View: A Deep Dive into 10 States, to include preliminary data for 2024 state legislative and statewide executive elections for four of our ten focus states: Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. This data tracks averages of amounts raised from individual donors, self-financing, and small-dollar contributions with comparisons between men and women candidates, partisan disparities, and the data is filterable by women’s race and ethnicity. Explore Women, Money, & Politics Watch 2024 for interactive data visualizations.

Discover the latest insights from Indiana's primary elections with CAWP's Election Watch. Here's a snapshot.

For further insights into Indiana's political landscape, dive into our full Indiana primaries results analysis, and for a look into other state primaries, check out CAWP's Election Watch.

Ruth B. Mandel Dissertation Research Awards: Honoring a Legacy, Empowering Future Scholars

Applications are open for CAWP’s 2024 Ruth B. Mandel Dissertation Research Awards, which supports graduate students undertaking research in the field of women and American politics. These awards are valued at $2,000 each. Advanced doctoral students with approved dissertation proposals on women, gender, and U.S. politics are encouraged to apply for up to four annual awards, including one for Rutgers University students. Applicants must submit a project abstract, proposal, CV, and research summary by May 15, 2024, with decisions announced in June 2024. For further details or application submission, visit our website or contact [email protected]. 

Kira Sanbonmatsu to Speak at The 19th* News Event!

We’re thrilled to announce that Kira Sanbonmatsu, senior scholar at CAWP, will be a featured speaker at The 19th* event titled, “Equal Participants in Our Democracy" tomorrow, May 15 in Washington, D.C. This event will focus on the crucial role of women and LGBTQ+ people in our democracy, exploring avenues toward achieving full participation.

Kira will join a panel of esteemed experts to discuss various aspects of women's engagement in politics, from voting to holding elected office. As a renowned scholar in the field, Kira brings invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities for women's political participation.

Don’t miss this enlightening conversation! RSVP now to secure your spot at the event and hear from Kira and other distinguished speakers.

Senator Laphonza Butler's Inspiring Lecture at CAWP 

On April 24, 2024, CAWP hosted United States Senator Laphonza Butler of California – the third Black woman to serve in the Senate and the only Black woman currently serving – for the 2024 Senator Wynona Lipman Chair Lecture, The Power of Black Women's Leadership in Politics. Senator Butler discussed Black women’s leadership in American politics, emphasizing the importance of data and community engagement. Reflecting on Senator Lipman's legacy, she urged greater support and representation of Black women in all political spheres. Watch the full event on CAWP’s YouTube page. And learn more about why we honor Senator Lipman with this lecture at the Senator Wynona Lipman Chair page.