When Women Lose

Abstract

This paper examines the press coverage of the 1993 Virginia and 1996 West Virginia gubernatorial elections. In both elections, the Democratic Party nominated female candidates, a first in both states. The research seeks to understand if the press was biased against the women candidates and whether or not that bias can be attributed to their gender. While the data collected from newspapers in both states show that the press was negative, the evidence suggests that the negativity was based primarily on issues other than gender. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: In 1993 and 1996, Virginia and West Virginia, respectively, were presented with their first opportunities to elect a woman governor. Both candidates entered their campaigns with substantial leads and the

Political Experience and the Success of Female Gubernatorial Candidates

“…A significant amount of this research addresses the media coverage of the women's campaigns. Scholars note that due to differences in media coverage, women are at a disadvantage when compared to their male rivals [28][29][30][31][32]; however, some argue that media coverage is becoming more gender balanced [33] and is more reflective of other aspects such as partisanship and incumbency [34].…”