Candidates and Campaigns

Based on data collected through surveys of women and men elected to state legislatures, county governing boards, and municipal offices, this report examines the factors which influence women's entry into elective offices. A major section focuses on black women's routes to elective office.

This book describes the emergence of women as candidates for elective office in the United States in the 1970s. Using a journalistic perspective, it analyzes the campaign experiences of women who are running for federal, state, and local offices across the country. 

The report outlines steps which may be taken to expand women's participation in politics, focusing on those findings which are relevant and useful for women interested in seeking public office and for people who conduct programs to increase women's numbers in public life.