Gender Candidate Evaluations and Campaign Donations

ABSTRACT We consider how gendered evaluations of candidates shape potential donors’ support of hypothetical candidates for the state legislature. Using an experimental design, we test two pathways by which candidate gender can influence the support and donations received by candidates. Potential Democratic donors consistently evaluate women more positively than men. These positive evaluations translate into a slight fundraising advantage for women. There is also evidence that potential Democratic donors support women candidates more than men when candidates receive the same evaluations. Potential Republican donors consistently provide poorer evaluations to women candidates compared to men. However, these weaker evaluations do not translate into a net advantage or disadvantage for Republican women. Potential Republican donors provide Republican women with higher levels of support and donations than they would to Republican men who receive similar evaluations.