Wyoming best, South worst for women candidates, study finds

Consider Wyoming and what involves thoughts? Cowboys? Yellowstone Park? Thwarted dynastic ambitions?

The number-crunchers on the College of Minnesota’s Good Politics web site analyzed greater than 5,000 congressional elections over the past 25 years to find out which states had the perfect report sending girls to the U.S. Home of Representatives.

It seems Wyoming, hardly famend as a bastion of political progressivism, leads the nation on a share basis--though it might have one thing to do with the state containing only a single congressional seat. (Dick Cheney’s daughter, Liz Cheney, for the report, was attempting to win election to the U.S. Senate in her dad’s dwelling state earlier than abandoning her marketing campaign in January.)

Wyoming has elected a lady to its at-large Home seat in every of the final 10 elections, and 10 of 13 contests since 1989, in accordance with the Good Politics research. That works out to 76.9% of the time, properly forward of South Dakota, which has elected girls to its at-large seat in six consecutive contests and 6 of 13 races in the course of the span, or 46.2% of the time.

Wyoming has traditionally been a pleasant place for ladies candidates and causes. Nellie Tayloe Ross grew to become the nation’s first feminine governor in 1925 when she was elected to complete her late husband’s time period. The state additionally granted girls the precise to vote properly forward of the remainder of the nation.

“It might be a case of success breeding success,” stated James King, who teaches political science on the College of Wyoming in Laramie. “In some locations to have a lady candidate is taken into account a novelty. Not right here.”

Eric J. Ostermeier, the political scientist behind the Good Politics web site, stated he analyzed Home races, relatively than contests for governor and U.S. Senate, as a result of they occurred extra usually and supplied a broader analysis base.

His findings had been usually shocking. Democratic-leaning California, which was liable for practically 1 / 4 of the 736 seats gained by girls within the 25-year interval, earned an A- in Ostermeier’s accounting. However different components of the Democratic presidential base had been far much less pleasant. Oregon earned a B-; Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota acquired Cs; Pennsylvania and Massachusetts every bought a D-, and New Jersey bought an F.

Usually talking, the South was the least hospitable place for feminine congressional candidates. North Carolina, which scored finest within the area with a grade of C+, elected girls in 22 of 151 contests, or 14.6% of the time.

Share of U.S. Home Seats Received by Girls by State, 1989-2014

Rank	State	Grade	# Received	# Contests	% Received
1	Wyoming	A+	10	13	76.9
2	South Dakota	A	6	13	46.2
3	Hawaii	A	12	28	42.9
4	Connecticut	A	25	66	37.9
5	Nevada	A	12	32	37.5
6	California	A-	179	640	28.0
7	Missouri	B+	23	109	21.1
8	Maine	B+	5	24	20.8
9	Colorado	B+	16	78	20.5
9	New York	B+	76	371	20.5
11	Florida	B+	58	290	20.0
12	West Virginia	B	7	37	18.9
13	New Mexico	B	7	38	18.4
14	Washington	B	20	109	18.3
15	Oregon	B-	11	62	17.7
16	Ohio	B-	39	226	17.3
17	New Hampshire	B-	4	24	16.7
18	North Carolina	C+	22	151	14.6
19	Kansas	C+	7	49	14.3
20	Maryland	C+	13	98	13.3
21	Idaho	C+	3	24	12.5
22	Wisconsin	C	12	103	11.7
23	Michigan	C	22	189	11.6
24	Minnesota	C	11	96	11.5
25	Illinois	C	25	239	10.5
26	Indiana	C-	11	117	9.4
27	Tennessee	C-	10	108	9.3
28	Texas	C-	31	379	8.2
29	Arizona	C-	7	86	8.1
30	Kentucky	D+	5	76	6.6
31	Utah	D	2	37