ABSTRACT
A push to secure the “women’s vote” is a reoccurring theme in recent election cycles, and the 2016 election was no different. But in America’s predominantly two-party system, female voters are also partisan voters, and campaign strategies focusing on women must grapple with their gender and partisan identities. This chapter explores how Republican male and female congressional candidates in 2016 appealed to Republican women voters via their campaign Twitter feeds and whether there were differences in campaign strategies based on candidate gender. Additionally, this chapter examines how candidates handled the gender-salient scandal surrounding Republican nominee Donald Trump after the reveal of the Access Hollywood recordings. The results of this content analysis produced three notable trends. First, Republicans candidates, male and female, primarily focused on partisan issue appeals. Second, women did not dominate men when it came to gender appeals, and men often outpaced women on these matters. Finally, there was a clear gender divide regarding the Access Hollywood recordings: Men expressed discontent with Trump, but women went a step farther and condemned Trump, pulled their support for him, and some called for him to withdraw. Overall, Republican candidates’ tweets prioritized partisan politics and downplayed gender-based identity politics.
