Gender and Attack Advertising in U.S. Senate Campaigns

Abstract

We examine if candidate gender influences the issues opponents use in advertising attacks against them in U.S. Senate campaigns. We find evidence that candidates consider partisan issue ownership and issue salience when choosing the topics on which to engage opponents. However, the gender identity of the opponent does not have measurable effects on the selection of issues mentioned in contrast and attack advertising. While highlighting the dominance of partisanship as a key concern in the formulation of attacks against opponents, this study also illustrates the very different issue landscapes faced by women running as Republicans and Democrats, where Democratic women are most likely to face attacks on the issues where both party and gender stereotypes place them at a disadvantage while Republican women are most likely to be attacked where partisan issue ownership puts them at a disadvantage but their gender identity gives them a reputational edge.