Breaking Barriers: Analyzing Women Prosecutors’ Electoral Success

Abstract Although state prosecutors play a critically important role in the U.S. criminal justice system, these elections have received limited scholarly attention. Prosecutor elections historically have been dominated by men but have seen growing numbers of women candidates. Using data from elections between 2012 and 2020 in the 200 most populous prosecutorial districts, we assess the likelihood of a woman candidate running for the office and her chances of winning the election. We find women run more often in districts with greater racial diversity and in either nonpartisan or open seat races, where they face fewer political barriers. With respect to success, women incumbents and those aligned with the successful presidential candidate in the district are more likely to win. Nonpartisan elections and open seat contests also favor women candidates. Our analysis sheds light on the evolving role of gender in local elections and its implications for the American political landscape.