Women Voters Power Democratic Wins in Election 2025

Women voters were key to the success of Governors-elect Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) in the 2025 elections, according to an analysis of exit-poll data by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. The gender gap in voting fueled decisive victories in both races. Full analysis about women voters in the 2025 elections can be found on the CAWP website.

A gender gap in voting refers to a difference between the percentage of women and percentage of men voting for a specific candidate, generally the winning candidate in a given election. For example, if 55% of women and 45% of men support a candidate, the gender gap would be 10 points. 

“The support of women voters was decisive in these elections, and both Sherrill and Spanberger outperformed their male predecessors among women voters,” said CAWP Director Debbie Walsh. “This year was another reminder of the power of women voters, who have consistently outvoted men for nearly a half century and proven to be a reliable base for Democrats. Candidates ignore them and their policy concerns at their peril.” 

Here are key takeaways about voting and gender in election 2025:
 

New Jersey

• New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill (D) received support from 62% of women and 49% of men who voted in the 2025 gubernatorial election, representing a 13-point gender gap. In 2017, now-Governor Phil Murphy earned nearly equal shares of support from women (55%) and men (56%) voters (a one-point gender gap). 
• Sherrill had a 25-point advantage over Republican Jack Ciattarelli among women voters. 
• Sherrill’s strongest support came from Black women (95%), Latinas (73%), and women aged 18-29 (81%). Her margin of success was smaller among white women (54%) and women aged 65 and older (56%). 
• Majorities of white men (69%) and women (57%) without a college degree backed Republican Jack Ciattarelli, while college-educated white voters were split by gender. While 62% of college-educated white women backed Sherrill, 52% of college-educated white men backed Ciattarelli. 

Virginia

• Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger (D) received support from 65% of women and 48% of men who voted in the 2025 gubernatorial election, representing a 17-point gender gap. Spanberger outperformed all of her Democratic nominee counterparts in the previous three gubernatorial elections among women voters, and the gender gap in her support is larger than in any of those years. In 2017, Democrat Ralph Northam won with a 13-point gender gap, the second-highest in recent elections.
• Spanberger had a 30-point advantage over Republican nominee and Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears among women voters.
• As with Governor-elect Sherrill, Spanberger’s strongest support came from Black women (96%), Latinas (78%), and women aged 18-29 (82%). Her margin of success was smaller among white women (54%) and women aged 65 and older (59%).
• Nearly two-thirds (65%) of white women voters with a college degree backed Spanberger while 60% of white women without a college degree backed Earle-Sears. Majorities of white men with (52%) and without (71%) a college degree backed the Earle-Sears. 

Data from this analysis come from the SSRS exit poll, which can be adjusted following the election. This data is current as of November 7, 2025. Read our full analysis about women voters on the CAWP website.