Women at the Democratic National Convention

As the Democratic National Convention convenes in Chicago this week, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University is here to provide resources, analysis, and context for the historic nomination of Kamala Harris — the first Black woman, first Asian American person, first multiracial woman, and only the second woman to be the presidential nominee of a major party.

“This week, Americans will watch something they have never seen before. At CAWP, we know that representation matters beyond the symbolic gravity of moments like these. Having a multiracial woman, the child of immigrants, lead one of America’s major political parties provides a new perspective on the policies that impact all our daily lives,” said CAWP Director Debbie Walsh. “But we also cannot ignore the symbolism of this moment. A generation of young people will watch Kamala Harris run for president, forever altering the conception of who can lead at the highest levels.”

Resources on Women and the Presidency

• Presidential Watch 2024 Information on women presidential candidates in 2024 as well as links to more information on major milestones and historical facts around women and the presidency.
• Women Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates List Highlighting important moments in women running for federal executive office throughout American history.
• Finding Gender in Election 2016: Lessons from Presidential Gender Watch Analysis about the 2016 presidential election, the first time a woman won a major-party nomination for president.
• Presidential Gender Watch 2016 Insights from CAWP scholars and other experts about gender implications in the 2016 presidential campaign, part of a collaboration between CAWP and the Barbara Lee Family Foundation.
• Tracking Gender in the 2020 Presidential Gender Election Analysis about the 2020 presidential election, the first time more than one woman sought a major-party nomination for president.
• Gender Differences in Voter Turnout Women have voted in larger numbers and at higher rates than men for decades. This resource explores differences in voter turnout and registration in detail.
• Gender Gap: Voting Choices in Presidential Elections This resource analyzes decades of gender differences in presidential vote choice, with additional breakdowns for race and ethnicity, marital status, age, and more.

Resources on Women in the 2024 Elections

CAWP’s Election Watch provides the latest and most detailed information on women candidates running for office in 2024, including:

• 2024 Summary of Women Candidates Provides latest data on candidates and nominees for women running for multiple levels of office with comparisons to recent election years and record levels.
• Women, Money, & Politics Watch 2024 Analysis of gender and campaign finance in the 2024 elections from both recipient and donor perspectives.
• 2024 Filed Women Candidates A full list of every woman running as a major-party candidate for Congress, governor, and other statewide elective executive offices.
• Women as Percentage of 2024 Major-Party Candidates and Nominees This resource examines how women fare as a proportion of all candidates and nominees for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and gubernatorial offices.
  • For example, this resource shows that women are 37.5% of Democratic U.S. House candidates and 17.6% of Republican House candidates. Meanwhile, women are 44.9%% of Democratic House nominees and 16% of Republican House nominees thus far.
• Election Analysis See results for women candidates in primary elections nationwide and other analysis about women in the 2024 elections.

CAWP experts are available for commentary and analysis about this year’s historic presidential election and women running for every level of office in election 2024. Contact CAWP’s director of communications, Daniel De Simone, for data and interview requests at ddesimone@eagleton.rutgers.edu or 760.703.0948.