Women outvote men, but make fewer donations
Candidates ignore female voters at their peril: Women have outvoted men since 1980. Census data shows that nearly 10 million more women than men cast ballots in the 2020 elections.
But when it comes to another form of political participation – giving money to candidates – it’s men who take the lead. We found that men gave more money than women to candidates in statewide elections for executive offices such as attorney general and secretary of state, between 2001 and 2020.
We found that men contribute more financially overall in statewide races, creating a large gender gap in political voice. This disparity exists in primary and general elections, across both political parties, and is seen in the most recent election cycle from 2017 to 2021.