The article investigates why women continued to support Republican candidates despite prevalent sexist attitudes during the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections.

Key Question: How do gender identity, socioeconomic status, and racial background shape women voters' responses?

Drawing on survey data from these pivotal election cycles, this research demonstrates that traditional sexism among women correlates with their support for Republican candidates who championed socially conservative policies. The analysis reveals that racial resentment, a factor often absent in studies of sexist voting patterns, significantly mediated the relationship between sexist attitudes and political choice.

The Answer: Women's backing for anti-women platforms was influenced by their identity as White women holding working-class jobs or lacking college degrees—demographics strongly associated with socially conservative views. This suggests that rather than being a relic of past inequalities, sexist voting behavior in contemporary America is strategically employed to support policies aligned with other core values.

The findings complicate narratives about gender equality and political alignment by showing how intersecting factors like whiteness shaped the relationship between sexism and presidential voting.