Governorships Still Elude Women

A new bipartisan survey suggests that, although female candidates continue to fare well in races for Congress and state legislatures, they still face voter doubts about their ability to serve as governors. Only four states have female chief executives: Arizona, Delaware, Montana and New Hampshire.

According to data compiled by Democrat Celinda Lake and Republican Linda DiVall, men and older voters still tend to prefer male candidates in gubernatorial races. Blue-collar workers and older Democratic men also show a preference for male governors.

Two-thirds of 1,375 likely voters surveyed said women who have served as lieutenant governors or state attorneys general are “very qualified” to be governors. But only one-third said the same of women who have been business executives. The pollsters said focus group interviews indicated that men are still given more political credit for success in business than are women.