September 10, 2024

Tonight’s debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump co-moderated by ABC News' Linsey Davis, who served as CAWP’s Lipman Chair in 2020, provides an opportunity to observe and evaluate gender and intersectional dynamics between the presidential contenders in a setting where they are directly engaging with each other. Here are some tips on how to watch this week’s debates with a gender lens:

Follow @CAWP_RU or @kdittmar on Twitter for real-time analysis of the debate tonight and learn more in our blog post, Debate-Watching with a Gender Lens.

CAWP invited over fifty gender and politics scholars and practitioners to share their research and practice-based insights in reaction to these two prompts:

• As you look ahead to the remaining weeks until Election Day, what gender and/or intersectional dynamics are you seeing already and/or watching for that are important to understanding how gender has/will influence this year’s presidential election?
• While much attention has shifted to the top of the ticket, what gender and/or intersectional stories and/or dynamics beyond the presidential contest do you think should be paid attention to for the remainder of this cycle? 

Key themes emerged in their responses around both the presidential race and down-ballot contests.

Gender and Intersectionality in the Presidential Race The selection of Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee has significantly impacted the political landscape. Experts highlight a closing enthusiasm gap among voters of color and their significant influence on the election result. Harris's intersecting gender and racial identities have the potential to reshape Democratic coalitions and broaden her appeal, but experts also point to ways in which sexism and racism might impact the race.

Down-ballot Gender and Intersectional Stories Beyond the presidential race, experts recommend that greater attention be paid to the gendered patterns in campaign fundraising and contributions, the rise of Native women candidates, the decreasing number of Latina congressional candidates, the continued partisan disparities in women’s representation, and the impact of restrictive voting laws on voter participation. Experts suggest that enthusiasm for down-ballot women candidates, especially in state legislative elections, could be influenced by Harris's candidacy.

Abortion as a Central Issue Multiple experts outline the influence of reproductive rights as an issue shaping voter enthusiasm, voter mobilization, vote choice, and campaign strategies from the presidential level down. 

Read the gender and politics experts’ full responses in Expert Insights: What to Watch in Election 2024. 

Kelly Dittmar, CAWP’s director of research, recently participated in the panel conversation, “Gen Z and the 2024 Election: How Young Americans Are Reshaping U.S. Politics,” moderated by Melissa Deckman, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute and author of The Politics of Gen Z. The discussion – also joined by Elena Moore, NPR political reporter, and Nadia E. Brown, professor of government and director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program at Georgetown University – delved into the evolving political power of Gen Z. Key topics included the impact of gender and sexuality on political participation, youth-led progressive movements, and how Gen Z's values are shaping the future of politics. The event video is available here.

Primary season is wrapping up! To date, 46 state primaries have been held, each carefully analyzed by CAWP’s Election Watch.

In recent weeks, we have released Election Watch results for women candidates in Alaska, Florida, Wyoming, and Massachusetts. In Alaska, incumbent U.S. Representative Mary Peltola (D) advanced to the general election for the state’s at-large U.S. House seat. In Florida, former U.S. Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D) is challenging Senator Rick Scott (R) for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat. In Wyoming, Harriet Hageman (R) is favored to win re-election in the all-woman race for the state’s at-large U.S. House seat. And in Massachusetts, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) is strongly favored for re-election. For a complete breakdown of how women have fared across these primaries, please visit our Election Results and Analysis page.

Today, we’re tracking the primaries in Delaware, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Check back tomorrow morning for the results from these contests.