Women Voters and the Utility of Campaigning as “Women of Color”

Women candidates from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups must cast a wide net when attracting voter support to win elections. One aspect of their candidate profile is the ability to campaign explicitly as a “woman of color.” Despite increased media usage of the term women of color, few academic studies focus on whether and how this term resonates with voters. We analyze original survey data collected in 2020 to probe voter reaction to the women of color identity among self-identified Black women, Latinas, and white women. We evaluate whether women are aware of the term and analyze the importance they place on the election of women of color candidates. Finally, to understand the effectiveness in actual electoral contests, we conduct an experiment to determine if women’s evaluations of Kamala Harris are affected by a woman of color candidate frame.