The election of former Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) as New Hampshire’s governor means 13 girls will function a state’s chief government subsequent yr, breaking the report of 12 set after the 2022 elections.
Governors maintain highly effective sway in American politics, shaping state coverage and infrequently utilizing the expertise and profile gained to launch campaigns for larger workplaces.
“It matters to have women in those roles to normalize the image of women in political leadership and even more specifically in executive leadership, where they’re the sole leader, not just a member of a team,” mentioned Kelly Dittmar, director of analysis on the Rutgers Heart for American Girls and Politics.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was floated as a possible Democratic nominee for president after President Biden exited the race. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) was considered within the operating for President-elect Trump’s vice presidential put up.
Ayotte defeated the Democratic nominee Joyce Craig, a former mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest metropolis. Nonetheless, 18 states have by no means had a lady within the governor’s workplace.
“This is another side of political leadership where women continue to be underrepresented,” Dittmar mentioned. “Thirteen out of 50 is still underrepresentation.”
With two girls vying for governor in New Hampshire, a brand new report for feminine governors was inevitable. The state has an extended historical past of electing girls.
As a senator, Ayotte was a part of the nation’s first all-female congressional delegation. It was additionally the primary state to have a feminine governor, state Senate president and Home Speaker on the similar time — and the primary to have a feminine majority in its Senate. She would be the state’s third girl to be governor.
“Being a woman isn’t really that critical to her political persona,” Linda Fowler, professor emerita of presidency at Dartmouth Faculty, mentioned of Ayotte.
Each Ayotte and Craig mentioned their gender hasn’t come up on the marketing campaign path though reproductive rights typically took entrance and middle.
In her marketing campaign, Craig attacked Ayotte’s report on abortion, and each candidates launched TV adverts detailing their very own miscarriages. The previous Republican lawmaker mentioned she’s going to veto any invoice additional limiting abortion in New Hampshire the place it’s unlawful after 24 weeks of being pregnant.
When Ayotte is sworn in, 5 Republican girls will function governor on the similar time, one other new excessive. The opposite eight are Democrats.
New Hampshire’s was one of many few aggressive gubernatorial races among the many 11 this yr. Extra inroads or setbacks for girls’s illustration may are available in 2026 when 36 states will elect governors.
Most voters are inclined to forged their ballots primarily based on get together loyalty and beliefs slightly than gender, Dittmar mentioned. Nonetheless, she famous feminine candidates typically face layers of scrutiny that male counterparts largely keep away from, with voters judging things like a lady’s intelligence, look and even courting historical past with a sharper lens.
The small achieve for girls in governor’s workplaces comes as Vice President Harris failed in her effort to turn into the primary feminine president. The White Home race was referred to as for President-elect Trump early Wednesday.
“I would not suggest to you that Kamala Harris lost a race because she was a woman, because she was a Black and South Asian woman,” Dittmar mentioned. “We would also fail to tell the correct story if we didn’t acknowledge the ways in which both gender and race shapes the campaign overall, and also had a direct effect on how Kamala Harris was evaluated by voters, treated by her opponents and even in the media and other spaces.”
Govt roles, particularly the presidency with its associations like commander in chief, typically carry masculine stereotypes that ladies should work more durable to beat, Dittmar added.
Consultants say girls confront these perceptions extra acutely in government races, reminiscent of for governor and president, than in state legislatures, the place girls are making historic strides as leaders, filling roles reminiscent of speaker and committee chairs.
“Sexism, racism, misogyny, it’s never the silver bullet. It’s never why one voter acts one way or another,” mentioned Erin Vilardi, CEO of Vote Run Lead, a left-leaning group that helps girls operating for state legislatures. “But we have so much of that built in to how we see a leader.”
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Volmert reported from Lansing, Michigan, and Govindarao reported from Phoenix. Related Press author Holly Ramer in New Hampshire contributed to this report.
