Why The Gender Gap In Candidates Largely Reflects Their Absence From Key Political Roles

Women face a 'gendered pipeline' barrier to power, but the reasons are complex. We analyzed three candidate pools: lower-level officeholders, newspaper-nominated candidates, and lawyers with political contributions.

Findings:

• Women's likelihood of seeking election is lower than men's
• However, their scarcity in these roles creates a bigger disparity for female candidates
• The issue requires attention to the Republican side specifically

These results highlight that addressing women's underrepresentation must consider both entry rates into politics and the gendered pipeline itself.