Today’s editorial looks at data from the 2021 Virginia governor’s race and a recent poll of Hispanic voters to identify a growing gender gap in support for the Democratic Party. While black and Hispanic women are as supportive of the Democratic Party as ever, both black and Hispanic men are increasingly likely to support Republicans.
If black and Hispanic voters start splitting their votes between the two parties along gender lines, it will be very hard for Democrats to win elections with just female votes alone.
On the flip side, is it fair to say that Republicans have a woman problem?
Yes and no.
Just looking at the top-line numbers, President Joe Biden ran up larger margins among women than former President Donald Trump did among men. Biden won women 57%-42%, and Trump won men 53%-45%. At first glance, it would seem like Republicans do, in fact, have a huge woman problem.
But looking a little bit deeper, not all female demographics voted the same. Unmarried women particularly hated Trump, breaking for Biden 63%-36%. Married women, however, actually preferred Trump, 51% to 47%.
So Republicans don’t so much have a woman problem as much as they have a marriage problem.
All the more reason for Republicans to develop a marriage-friendly agenda.
