CAWP’s Jean Sinzdak Analyzes How Gender Shaped the 2025 Election Cycle
Associate Director Jean Sinzdak speaking on the progress of women in politics at "The Morning After." (Photo Credit: Eagleton Institute of Politics)
Jean Sinzdak, Associate Director of the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University, speaks with WRSU’s Maryam Malihi about the role gender played in the 2025 election cycle. This interview serves as a follow-up from the Eagleton Institute of Politics’ post-election panel event, titled “The Morning After,” moderated by Dr. Saladin Ambar.
Malihi asked the panelists on the role of gender identity in Mikie Sherrill’s successful campaign against Jack Ciattarelli, and what it means for electability of women in political office. Panelists Sinzdak and Regina M. Egea, founder of the Garden State Initiative, reflected on how gender shaped campaign narratives in the race between Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill and her opponent Jack Ciattarelli. The discussion touched on whether gender identity influenced voters’ perceptions, as well as the double standards that surfaced when both candidates spoke about parenthood and family life on the campaign trail.
In this follow-up interview with Malihi to expand on her answers, Sinzdak discusses the historic victories of New Jersey’s first female Democratic governor and Virginia’s first female governor, the evolving perceptions of motherhood and leadership in campaigns, and CAWP’s work in tracking women candidates through its nonpartisan Election Watch project. She also reflects on Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill’s focus on qualifications and military service, and how issues surrounding her military record shaped gender narratives during the race.