Congressional nomination procedures and the representation of women

The impact of different types of election systems on the representation of women has only recently commanded attention from political scientists. Most of this impact research focuses on the local, state, or cross-national levels. This paper is nearly unique in its focus on the potential impact of variations in congressional election procedures on women’s representation. An examination of three such variations–filing date for candidates, the open or closed nature of primaries, and whether or not party endorsement is used–indicates some impact on the presence and success of women candidates in the Democratic, but not Republican, primaries. Thus, even small differences in election structures may affect the recruitment and success of women candidates.