Voters tend to view women more negatively when they are running for office, Democratic pollster Nancy Zdunkewicz said in an interview that aired Thursday on Hill.TV.
“Once they start to run, their negatives jump up,” Zdunkewicz told host Jamal Simmons on Wednesday. “Once they’re in office, [they have] high approval ratings, and people think that they’re doing a great job. But when they’re seeking a higher office, people are a little bit more tepid in the feelings that they have towards them.”
A historic number of women ran for office in 2018, making significant gains in Congress and in statehouses across the country on Election Day.
Women are also poised to play a major role in the 2020 presidential campaign, with candidates like Democratic Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Kamala Harris (Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) all seeking the chance to challenge President Trump in the general election.
However, media coverage of male and female candidates has been uneven, according to a recent study.
An analysis of 130 articles from mainstream news organizations by Northeastern University’s School of Journalism found that female candidates were being treated more negatively than their male counterparts.
— Julia Manchester
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